11 November 2024 - De Studio, Antwerpen
The films are shown in original languages with English subtitles | The public debate is in Dutch & English
For the occasion of Armistice Day on November 11 and the re-election of President Trump, De Cinema, De Studio, and Antwerp filmmaker Jan Beddegenoodts invite you to two films and the public debate CEASEFIRE?!?!. How does the urgent need for peace relate to the wars in Ukraine, Palestine, and Lebanon? And where does the pacifist stand in 2024? Why does this madness persist in our spectacle society? Where does the pacifist of 2024 stand, and what can we do? CEASEFIRE?!?!??
6:00 PM
In GAMLET, Jan Beddegenoodts follows Ukrainian street artist Gamlet Zinkivskyi during the Russian invasion of Kharkiv. Despite the devastation, Gamlet remains determined to create art, convinced that art, even amid war, has a unifying power. Beddegenoodts highlights the resilience of the human spirit, with humor as the main weapon.
7:00 PM
In BLUE ORCHIDS, Johan Grimonprez (SOUNDTRACK TO A COUP D'ETAT) presents a deep dual portrait of two opposites in the arms trade: Chris Hedges, former New York Times correspondent, and Riccardo Privitera, a former arms dealer. Their testimonies reveal the corruption and hypocrisy of the war industry, in which greed plays a central role.
8:00 PM
Then, using several film clips, Beddegenoodts invites the audience and the following speakers to reflect on the role of journalism, ethics, and activism, as well as the challenges faced by the peace movement in times of war:
- Maha Abdallah, doctoral researcher in Law at the University of Antwerp, focusing on the financial flows sustaining Israeli colonialism.
- Pascal Gielen, author and professor of cultural sociology at the Antwerp Research Institute for the Arts (ARIA), University of Antwerp.
- Ludo De Brabander, peace activist, opinion maker, and spokesperson for the peace organization Vrede vzw.
- Oksana Senyczak, activist and spokesperson for #StandWithUkraine.
- Ludo Abicht, philosopher, author, poet and professor of Classical Philology and European Culture. Abicht has published 23 books on Jewish culture and spirituality, Israel-Palestine, Marxism, multiculturalism, political philosophy, and anti-Semitism.
- Hanne Bosselaers, doctor and activist for Médecine Pour le Peuple
Reserve your spot by paying what you can! All profits go directly to a befriended displaced family from Gaza. They thank you!
This evening and the films are part of our programme (R)EVOLUTION which focuses on universal themes like resistance and freedom, and which shines a light on the importance of cinema as a tool for giving a voice to the oppressed.