The Human Rights Watch Film Festival celebrates its twenty-first year with a lineup that includes 30 films from 25 countries. Documentaries and narratives alike, these films are dedicated to raising awareness about human rights obstructions, and emulate the organization’s tendency toward targeted campaigning. Their themes run the gamut from migration and closed societies to health, the environment, and children’s rights. All stress accountability in the hopes of establishing greater justice in the world.
Ever wonder why the United States has such a large influx of illegal Mexican immigrants? Perhaps it’s due to Mexico’s extreme poverty? Rampant crime? Lack of opportunity? Or it might be because the justice system falsely convicts and imprisons innocent people. All the time. That’s what happened to Toño Zuniga: the subject of a new documentary Presumed Guilty.
Toño, a street vendor, and aspiring dancer/rapper, was wrongly accused of murder in Mexico City in 2005. Though the murder took place approximately 40 minutes away from Toño’s place of work, and numerous witnesses attested to the young man’s whereabouts, Toño was taken into custody by police. Not only was he falsely arrested and accused of the crime, he was then convicted of the murder and received a 20-year prison sentence. As Toño pursues a retrial, his story is documented by two young lawyers, (Layda Negrete and Roberto Hernández), who are concerned with the lawless Mexican justice system. The result? A heart-wrenching, infuriating story of corruption and rampant human rights violations.
The scenes are painful to watch. The judge floats through the trial with an impenetrable smirk. The prosecutor looks unfazed by the proceedings, even though it is clear that her ‘evidence’ doesn’t prove anything. And the witnesses shamelessly lie their way through their testimonies. All the while, Toño and his family watch in disbelief.
Though the subject-matter is difficult, the filmmakers tackle the issues in a clear, comprehensive manner. By documenting each step of Toño’s appeal process, the young lawyers highlight the fraudulent activities within the courts, and manage to prove the defendant’s innocence to an appeals panel.
Sum…ology: This is a must-see for any human-rights advocate, and it’s especially timely in the wake of the Arizona immigration controversy.
Presumed Guilty will be presented on June 24 (Thursday) at 7:00pm. The screening will be held at Lincoln Center’s Walter Reade Theater, on 165 W. 65th Street (between Broadway and Amsterdam). You can buy tickets and find out more information here. It will also air on PBS on Tuesday, July 27.
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