Silas

No More Business as Usual
Austrian premiere!

CA/ZA/KE, 2017, 80 min, English OV
Directed by: Anjali Nayar, Hawa Essuman

Friday
November 2nd
20:00


Q&A
with the film's subject Silas Siakor (via videostream)


CO-PRESENTED BY
AAI - Afro-Asiatisches Institut Graz & Chiala


Website


“When they tear down the trees and strip the land, they tear down our people and strip away their lives.”

Liberian activist Silas Siakor is a tireless crusader against illegal logging. He’s watched multinational corporations wreak havoc on the environment by enriching themselves and impoverishing the local population. This kind of corruption has gone on for so long that it can induce fatigue. But Silas is a bracing wake-up call to the power of citizens to fight back. Filmmakers Anjali Nayar and Hawa Essuman chronicle Siakor’s work over five years as he exposes ties between loggers and politicians. One man’s battle gains momentum and emboldens communities to raise their fists and smartphones, seize control of their lands and protect their environment. It is a new generation of resistance.

Awards:
Amnesty International Human Rights Award, Durban International Film Festival 2018, William W. Warner Beautiful Swimmers Award at DC Environmental Film Festival 2018, Audience Choice Award Best Documentary Feature, RiverRun International Film Festival 2018, The Golden Dhow, Zanzibar International Film Festival 2018