22nd Barcelona Film and Human Rights Festival

The opening will be marked by the voice — unbreakable even from prison — of Narges Mohammadi, winner of the 2023 Nobel Peace Prize, who will send a message specially recorded for the festival. The screening of White Torture, directed by the activist herself, will turn the cinema into a space of denunciation and remembrance, recalling the violence inflicted on women who dare to challenge the Iranian regime.

From there, the festival unfolds a mosaic of uncomfortable, necessary and profoundly human realities. Afghan women who continue to resist under the Taliban’s impositions; migrants who face the cold waters of the English Channel while dealing with criminal networks that trade in their desperation; rural communities who discover that even “green” energy can bring conflict when it does not listen to those who live in the area. There is also room for stories of personal overcoming that, far from the epic, show the dignity and strength of those who struggle in silence.

The festival does not seek to offer a simple film showcase: it works as a reminder that images can shake consciences and that, at times, looking directly is the first political gesture. In turbulent times, this edition reaffirms the role of cinema as a territory where justice, though wounded, still finds a voice.