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The Human Rights for the Assistance of Prisoners (HRAP) in Egypt used cinema to promote discussion and understanding of human rights culture.  HRAP wanted to raise public awareness of human rights issues and particularly awareness of the conditions of prisoners. The chosen film topics have thus revolved around human rights issues dealing with conditions in prisons for men and women, torture, disappearances, judicial system corruption, wrongful accusations, rights of the accused and imprisonment of the innocent and conditions in mental hospitals.

HRAP followed a set protocol for each film seminar. This includes a review of the content—to ensure that it is of high artistic quality and is a good example of a human rights issue.

Films were selected by a board of four people consisting of the chairman of HRAP, the art coordinator, a professor, and a film director.  The group publicizes the film through e-mail, fax, and other forms of publicity such as radio.  HRAP invites guest speakers, including the film’s director and sometimes the film stars, which helps to draw a larger audience.  Also invited are those with expertise related to the human rights issue to be discussed.  The films are shown in well-known hotel venues, both to draw the audience but to also by-pass the need for obtaining government permits required for other kinds of venues. A diverse audience is sought in order to lend richness and validation to the discussion.

A research paper—approximately ten pages in length—was prepared about the film by the art coordinator. The research paper was written in simple language and meant to spark excitement and interest. The contents of the research paper include background on the relationship of art to human rights, a review of the film as it relates to the human rights issue, and a summary of the film including the director, producer, actors, and the story.  The paper also includes existing examples and cases aroused by the film relating to the human rights issue presented and a general artistic evaluation of the film.  A supplement was added to the paper, an artistic evaluation of the film and the human rights issue to be used for points of discussion in the public seminar

Each of the fifteen (15) seminars held followed a particular flow within a 3 to 3 ½ hour time period—two hours for the film showing and one to 1 ½ hours for the discussion.

• Welcome and introduction to the members of the seminar “high table” (the standing members—HRAP chairman and Art Coordinator—and the invited guests related to the film being presented—director, actors, and topic experts) and the audience
• Introduction and showing of the film
• Discussion in the framework of human rights and the human rights issue and related topics illustrated by the film
• Audience discussion and questions for the “high table” members
• Summary and evaluation—how the discussion has related to human rights as well as the artistic value of the film that was presented.

At first, HRAP had difficulty getting authorization for events and the police would always have an officer present at seminars. HRAP had little success in raising public awareness of human rights issues until this method of using cinema to present the human rights issue was developed and instituted. Generally the attendance has continued to rise due to the publicity of the events and the variety of films offered.  Each of 15 seminars has been attended by a diverse audience consisting of at least 100 to 250 people.

This tactic provides a safe way to discuss human rights issues without difficulties from the government or others who might raise objections to such topics.  It makes it possible to reach a broad audience (age, gender, professions, literate or illiterate, religions, etc.). Generally, audiences like exciting films and human rights issues produce this kind of tension and excitement in films and lend themselves well for discussion.  Cinema also provides a venue to introduce and discuss the concept of a human rights culture by highlighting art and literature, using ancient and modern examples from Egypt and elsewhere.  This tactic also encourages film makers to produce more films dealing with human rights issues.