On this occasion, the FIFDH welcomes Ad\u00e8le Haenel<\/a>, Francesca Albanese<\/a>, Yara El-Ghadban<\/a>, Claire Denis<\/a>, Vanessa Eileen Thompson<\/a>, F\u00e9ris Barkat<\/a>, Nina Meurisse<\/a>, Susan Stryker<\/a> and Charles Villa<\/a>.<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n ![\"\"](\"https:\/\/fifdh.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/FIFDH2026_ScarletGirls_play-1280x768.webp\")
Video: Th\u00e9o Laglisse | Music: Julie Bellard and Yoanne Rey<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/a>\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\nAuthoritarian Drift and the Spectrum of Fascism<\/h5>\n\n\n\n
Across the United States and Europe, democratic norms are under strain as authoritarian politics gain ground and neo-fascist ideas move into the mainstream, FIFDH examines these shifts through a series of dedicated Forums. One Forum focuses on the United States, where policies under the Trump administration are weakening democratic institutions. Another turns to Europe, where judicial independence, media freedom and the right to protest face growing pressure. The world premiere of Meloni Rising<\/em><\/a> <\/strong>(Anna Bonalume and J\u00e9r\u00e9my Frey) opens this strand. Additional Forums address repression in Argentina<\/strong><\/a>, China<\/strong><\/a> and Iran<\/strong><\/a>, placing these dynamics in a global perspective.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n ![\"\"](\"https:\/\/fifdh.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/roya-ann-miller-_T9A8yrMqHY-unsplash_169-1280x720.webp\")
The Librarians<\/em><\/a> by Kim A. Snyder followed by the Forum United States: the Authoritarian Turn<\/a><\/p>\nSat 07.03, 19:30, Espace Pito\u00ebff \u2013 Grande Salle \u2013 Co-presented with Amnesty International<\/a><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\nAll over the world, authoritarian policies consistently target those already pushed to the margins. To expose the erosion of fundamental freedoms and stand in solidarity with those who defend them, FIFDH brings together films and discussions on police violence and racial justice (in the presence of activist and professor Vanessa Eileen Thompson<\/strong><\/a>); conservative attacks on trans rights (Just Kids<\/strong><\/em><\/a>, with the historian Susan Stryker<\/strong><\/a>); everyday resistance in South Africa (Laundry<\/strong><\/em><\/a>); and political control over intimate life (Julian<\/strong><\/em><\/a> by Cato Kusters, with Nina Meurisse<\/strong>, and Between Dreams and Hope<\/strong><\/em><\/a> by Farnoosh Samadi).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n ![\"\"](\"https:\/\/fifdh.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Just-kids_169-1280x720.webp\")
Just Kids<\/em><\/a> by Gianna Toboni<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\n ![\"\"](\"https:\/\/fifdh.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Traces_169-1280x720.webp\")
Laundry<\/em><\/a> by Zamo Mkhwanazi<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\nThe Breakdown of the International Order<\/h5>\n\n\n\n
The 24th edition of FIFDH examines the challenges posed by the erosion of international law and multilateralism. Two Forums focus on the consequences of contemporary forms of imperialism, resource extraction and the conflicts they fuel in Democratic Republic of the Congo<\/strong><\/a> (Kivu) and Sudan<\/strong><\/a>, where civilians are caught between opposing forces. Palestine 36<\/strong><\/em><\/a> (Annemarie Jacir) revisits the 1936 uprising of the Palestinian population against colonial domination in a region under British mandate, shedding light on the roots of a conflict that crystallises the fractures of international law.<\/p>\n\n\n\nFollowing the screening of Disunited Nations<\/strong><\/em><\/a>, UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese<\/strong><\/a> discusses the international community\u2019s paralysis in the face of the current genocide in Gaza. Weakened by major budget cuts that undermine International Geneva<\/strong><\/a>, FIFDH examines the erosion of international law through a Forum devoted to the crisis of multilateralism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n ![\"\"](\"https:\/\/fifdh.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Disunited-Nations-1280x905.webp\")
Disunited Nations<\/em><\/a> by Christophe Cotteret followed by the Forum The Failure of International Law in Gaza<\/a><\/p>\nFri 13.03, 20:30, Espace Pito\u00ebff \u2013 Grande Salle \u2013 Co-presented with ARTE<\/a> and Mediapart<\/a><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\nOrganising Resistance: Collective Action and Civil Society Mobilisation<\/h5>\n\n\n\n
As authoritarianism hardens, crises deepen and democratic norms come under strain, resistance is taking shape in many forms. From GAZA with LOVE<\/strong><\/em><\/a>, a project led by reporter Charles Villa<\/strong>, gives a voice to the children of Gaza. The Forum Gaza: Resisting, Bearing Witness, Creating<\/strong> <\/a>(with author Yara El-Ghadban<\/strong>) showcases a series of short films by Gaza-based filmmakers, produced by Rashid Masharawi as part of From Ground Zero +<\/strong><\/em><\/a>. Together, they affirm art as a form of resistance in the face of destruction that targets not only lives, but culture and memory itself.<\/p>\n\n\n\nClimate breakdown<\/a> is addressed through the question of citizen action in a Forum bringing together sociologist Nicolas Framont<\/strong>, and activists F\u00e9ris Barkat<\/strong> and Pippi van Ommen<\/strong> (Extinction Rebellion). The discussion follows the international premiere of The System<\/strong><\/em><\/a> (Joris Postema). After the screening of Dockworkers<\/strong><\/em><\/a>, which follows dockworkers in Genoa united in a trade union struggle to disrupt the global arms trade, actress and activist Ad\u00e8le Haenel<\/strong> alongside novelist and human rights activist Sarah Schulman<\/strong> take part in a Forum<\/strong><\/a> that treats solidarity not as a slogan, but as a grounded, demanding and politically situated practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\nThe programme also turns to forms of resistance rooted in personal experience: Mailin<\/strong><\/em><\/a> (Mar\u00eda Silvia Esteve), a survivor\u2019s fight for justice in the face of the impunity of a priest who abused her; Black Water<\/strong><\/em><\/a> (Natxo Leuza), which connects climate injustice to forced displacement; and A Fox Under a Pink Moon<\/strong><\/em><\/a> (Mehrdad Oskouei and Soraya Akhlaghi), where artistic creation becomes a lifeline for a young Afghan woman facing patriarchal violence and exile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n ![\"\"](\"https:\/\/fifdh.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Portuali_169-1280x720.webp\")
Dockworkers<\/em><\/a> by Perla Sardella followed by the Forum Solidarity Is Not a Slogan<\/a><\/p>\nMon 09.03, 19:00, Espace Pito\u00ebff \u2013 Grande Salle<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\nFIFDH: cinema as a driver of impact<\/h5>\n\n\n\n
Through its professional programme Impact Days, FIFDH supports films still in development by helping shape their impact strategies and pathways to change. Its new Impact Spotlight section presents the European premiere of Yurlu | Country<\/strong><\/em><\/a> (Impact Days 2025), which examines the responsibility of Australian authorities and corporations for the devastation caused by asbestos to Indigenous communities. Presented as an international premiere, Molly vs the Machines<\/strong><\/em><\/a> by Marc Silver follows a father\u2019s fight to hold Meta accountable after his daughter\u2019s suicide. Traces<\/strong><\/em><\/a> (Sublimages Award, Impact Days 2025) centres the voices of survivors of rape in Ukraine as they oppose amnesty for Russian soldiers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n ![\"\"](\"https:\/\/fifdh.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Yurlu-Country_169-1280x720.webp\")
Yurlu | Country<\/em><\/a> by Yaara Bou Melhem<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\n ![\"\"](\"https:\/\/fifdh.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/TracesForum_169-1280x720.webp\")
Traces<\/em><\/a> by Alisa Kovalenko & Marysia Nikitiuk<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\nThe Festival closes on Sunday 15 March with the presence of acclaimed filmmaker Claire Denis<\/strong>, who will present her latest film, The Fence<\/strong><\/em><\/a>, in Swiss premiere. A retrospective of her work will follow at the Cin\u00e9math\u00e8que suisse<\/a> from 17 March.<\/p>\n\n\n
Video: Th\u00e9o Laglisse | Music: Julie Bellard and Yoanne Rey<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/a>\n\n\n
Authoritarian Drift and the Spectrum of Fascism<\/h5>\n\n\n\n
Across the United States and Europe, democratic norms are under strain as authoritarian politics gain ground and neo-fascist ideas move into the mainstream, FIFDH examines these shifts through a series of dedicated Forums. One Forum focuses on the United States, where policies under the Trump administration are weakening democratic institutions. Another turns to Europe, where judicial independence, media freedom and the right to protest face growing pressure. The world premiere of Meloni Rising<\/em><\/a> <\/strong>(Anna Bonalume and J\u00e9r\u00e9my Frey) opens this strand. Additional Forums address repression in Argentina<\/strong><\/a>, China<\/strong><\/a> and Iran<\/strong><\/a>, placing these dynamics in a global perspective.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Librarians<\/em><\/a> by Kim A. Snyder followed by the Forum United States: the Authoritarian Turn<\/a><\/p>\n Sat 07.03, 19:30, Espace Pito\u00ebff \u2013 Grande Salle \u2013 Co-presented with Amnesty International<\/a><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n All over the world, authoritarian policies consistently target those already pushed to the margins. To expose the erosion of fundamental freedoms and stand in solidarity with those who defend them, FIFDH brings together films and discussions on police violence and racial justice (in the presence of activist and professor Vanessa Eileen Thompson<\/strong><\/a>); conservative attacks on trans rights (Just Kids<\/strong><\/em><\/a>, with the historian Susan Stryker<\/strong><\/a>); everyday resistance in South Africa (Laundry<\/strong><\/em><\/a>); and political control over intimate life (Julian<\/strong><\/em><\/a> by Cato Kusters, with Nina Meurisse<\/strong>, and Between Dreams and Hope<\/strong><\/em><\/a> by Farnoosh Samadi).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Just Kids<\/em><\/a> by Gianna Toboni<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n Laundry<\/em><\/a> by Zamo Mkhwanazi<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n The 24th edition of FIFDH examines the challenges posed by the erosion of international law and multilateralism. Two Forums focus on the consequences of contemporary forms of imperialism, resource extraction and the conflicts they fuel in Democratic Republic of the Congo<\/strong><\/a> (Kivu) and Sudan<\/strong><\/a>, where civilians are caught between opposing forces. Palestine 36<\/strong><\/em><\/a> (Annemarie Jacir) revisits the 1936 uprising of the Palestinian population against colonial domination in a region under British mandate, shedding light on the roots of a conflict that crystallises the fractures of international law.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Following the screening of Disunited Nations<\/strong><\/em><\/a>, UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese<\/strong><\/a> discusses the international community\u2019s paralysis in the face of the current genocide in Gaza. Weakened by major budget cuts that undermine International Geneva<\/strong><\/a>, FIFDH examines the erosion of international law through a Forum devoted to the crisis of multilateralism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Disunited Nations<\/em><\/a> by Christophe Cotteret followed by the Forum The Failure of International Law in Gaza<\/a><\/p>\n Fri 13.03, 20:30, Espace Pito\u00ebff \u2013 Grande Salle \u2013 Co-presented with ARTE<\/a> and Mediapart<\/a><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n As authoritarianism hardens, crises deepen and democratic norms come under strain, resistance is taking shape in many forms. From GAZA with LOVE<\/strong><\/em><\/a>, a project led by reporter Charles Villa<\/strong>, gives a voice to the children of Gaza. The Forum Gaza: Resisting, Bearing Witness, Creating<\/strong> <\/a>(with author Yara El-Ghadban<\/strong>) showcases a series of short films by Gaza-based filmmakers, produced by Rashid Masharawi as part of From Ground Zero +<\/strong><\/em><\/a>. Together, they affirm art as a form of resistance in the face of destruction that targets not only lives, but culture and memory itself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Climate breakdown<\/a> is addressed through the question of citizen action in a Forum bringing together sociologist Nicolas Framont<\/strong>, and activists F\u00e9ris Barkat<\/strong> and Pippi van Ommen<\/strong> (Extinction Rebellion). The discussion follows the international premiere of The System<\/strong><\/em><\/a> (Joris Postema). After the screening of Dockworkers<\/strong><\/em><\/a>, which follows dockworkers in Genoa united in a trade union struggle to disrupt the global arms trade, actress and activist Ad\u00e8le Haenel<\/strong> alongside novelist and human rights activist Sarah Schulman<\/strong> take part in a Forum<\/strong><\/a> that treats solidarity not as a slogan, but as a grounded, demanding and politically situated practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The programme also turns to forms of resistance rooted in personal experience: Mailin<\/strong><\/em><\/a> (Mar\u00eda Silvia Esteve), a survivor\u2019s fight for justice in the face of the impunity of a priest who abused her; Black Water<\/strong><\/em><\/a> (Natxo Leuza), which connects climate injustice to forced displacement; and A Fox Under a Pink Moon<\/strong><\/em><\/a> (Mehrdad Oskouei and Soraya Akhlaghi), where artistic creation becomes a lifeline for a young Afghan woman facing patriarchal violence and exile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Dockworkers<\/em><\/a> by Perla Sardella followed by the Forum Solidarity Is Not a Slogan<\/a><\/p>\n Mon 09.03, 19:00, Espace Pito\u00ebff \u2013 Grande Salle<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n Yurlu | Country<\/em><\/a> by Yaara Bou Melhem<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n Traces<\/em><\/a> by Alisa Kovalenko & Marysia Nikitiuk<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n The Festival closes on Sunday 15 March with the presence of acclaimed filmmaker Claire Denis<\/strong>, who will present her latest film, The Fence<\/strong><\/em><\/a>, in Swiss premiere. A retrospective of her work will follow at the Cin\u00e9math\u00e8que suisse<\/a> from 17 March.<\/p>\n\n\n The Breakdown of the International Order<\/h5>\n\n\n\n
Organising Resistance: Collective Action and Civil Society Mobilisation<\/h5>\n\n\n\n
FIFDH: cinema as a driver of impact<\/h5>\n\n\n\n
Through its professional programme Impact Days, FIFDH supports films still in development by helping shape their impact strategies and pathways to change. Its new Impact Spotlight section presents the European premiere of Yurlu | Country<\/strong><\/em><\/a> (Impact Days 2025), which examines the responsibility of Australian authorities and corporations for the devastation caused by asbestos to Indigenous communities. Presented as an international premiere, Molly vs the Machines<\/strong><\/em><\/a> by Marc Silver follows a father\u2019s fight to hold Meta accountable after his daughter\u2019s suicide. Traces<\/strong><\/em><\/a> (Sublimages Award, Impact Days 2025) centres the voices of survivors of rape in Ukraine as they oppose amnesty for Russian soldiers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n