Documentary Production and Distribution News
Writers Unite to Protect the Freedom of Other Writers Worldwide
By StudentFilmmakers.com
posted Jul 28, 2011, 15:02
PEN partners with GlobalWorks to Create Awareness
PEN partners with GlobalWorks to Create Awareness
(New York) To help set the stage for one of the world's most prestigious human
rights events—presented by literary and human rights organization PEN
American Center—GlobalWorks Group was selected to create a documentary
on Nasrin Sotoudeh, a writer, lawyer and leader of the women's and children's
rights movement in Iran, where she was sentenced this past January to 11 years
in prison for, among other things, "acting against national security."
"We were approached to help make clear and urgent the need to stand up
for freedom of expression," commented Inaki Escudero, GlobalWorks' Global
Creative Director. "So we created three videos that made censorship of
expression tangible as well as exemplified how words are the seeds that can
inspire social change," added Mr. Escudero.
Laszlo Jakab Orsos, Director of the PEN World Voices Festival, stated, "We
had the opportunity to form a strategic partnership with GlobalWorks. The agency
developed a video that communicates the harm censorship and book banning brings
to society as a whole." He added, "With these video works we wanted
to emphasize that without freedom to write and publish, we can't possibly build
a society of open-minded and free-spirited people, which is the foundation of
every democracy."
During PEN's annual event, Ms. Sotoudeh was awarded the 2011 PEN/Barbara Goldsmith
Freedom to Write Award; Nobel Peace Prize laureate Shirin Ebadi accepted, on
behalf of the imprisoned honoree. The honor, now in its 25th year, recognizes
an international literary figure who has been persecuted or imprisoned for exercising
or defending the right to freedom of expression.
"This prestigious event combined with the organization's mission are poignant
reminders that many people around the world are far less fortunate and lack
free expression," said Jose E. Velez-Silva, Director of Client Services
at GlobalWorks.
"This creative assignment was a very personal one for me," said GlobalWorks
Chairman and CEO Yuri Radzievsky. "I was born and educated in the USSR,
where human rights and freedom of expression were always in question,"
Mr. Radzievsky said. "It was an honor to help further PEN's mission and
draw attention to Nasrin Sotoudeh's vision and accomplishments."
In closing Mr. Radzievsky stated, "I had the fortune to land in the United
States to live in a country without censorship or fear for our human rights."
Resources:
www.pen.org
www.globalworks.com
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