Panelist at NEHRFF - The Territory, NatGEOS Documentary

I had the privilege of contributing to the inaugural Northeast Human Rights Film Festival (NEHRFF) hosted at #UConn. This enlightening three-day event served as a platform for the screening and impassioned discussion of acclaimed films and productions addressing crucial human rights issues.

Participating in NEHRFF was a profound experience that deepened my appreciation for documentaries and media projects with a substantive message. Notably, I had the opportunity to join a panel as a translator and assist the team behind #TheTerritory—a documentary highlighting the relentless struggle of the Brazilian Indigenous Uru-eu-wau-wau people against deforestation driven by farmers and illegal settlers in the Amazon.

This documentary not only sheds light on the plight of the Uru-eu-wau-wau community but also underscored the power of media and digital literacy as tools for communication and advocacy. It further solidified my dedication to fostering media and digital literacy training for the advancement of our institutions and educational systems.

I cannot adequately express the honor and gratitude I felt standing alongside the #TheTerritory team, including the remarkable Neidinha Bandeira, a human rights activist and co-founder of the nonprofit Kandidé Ethno-Environmental Defense Association (support their cause here: https://lnkd.in/e-z9PH6K).

A heartfelt acknowledgment goes to Heather Elliott-Famularo and the UConn Gladstein Family Human Rights Institute for orchestrating this remarkable festival, Heather Cassano for her transformative documentary class that reshaped my perspective, Zahra Sadeghi for her invaluable contributions as a Graduate Assistant during the festival, and to my film/video partner throughout my time at #UConn, among countless others.

Directed by Alex Pritz and produced by luminaries like Darren Aronofsky, #TheTerritory is available on Natgeo’s Disney+ streaming platform.

For more information about the festival, visit: https://filmfestival.humanrights.uconn.edu/about/about-the-festival/

To learn more about The Territory documentary, visit: https://films.nationalgeographic.com/the-territory