A documentary made by a senior lecturer from Coventry University
is to have its world premiere at the West Midlands Human Rights
Film Festival in Birmingham later this month.
Ken Fero, who lectures in Media Production, enlisted the help of
several Coventry University students to work on the broadcast
documentary 'Defeat of the Champion.'
The media production students worked as production assistants
and as the second camera unit gaining valuable experience.
It is the first time that the region has hosted The Human Rights
Film Festival and its aim is to screen a range of films that
investigate the notion of human rights in the 21st Century as
measured against the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
As well as films, the festival will have a wide selection of
specially invited guest speakers ranging from film-makers to
commentators, academics and campaigners.
'Defeat of the Champion' is a 25-minute-long documentary which
looked at the controversy surrounding the erection of a number of
CCTV cameras for 'Project Champion' - a police anti-terrorist
initiative. The placing of the 200 cameras incensed members of the
communities, as well as civil rights activists, and the documentary
is the story of how the cameras were successfully opposed.
The documentary, directed by Ken Fero and Tariq Mehmood, will be
screened on Wednesday 28 September at 8pm in the Birmingham Library
Theatre, Chamberlain Square, Birmingham.
It will be followed by a panel discussion with contributions
from Ken Fero and Steve Jolly, an active campaigner against
CCTV.
Ken Fero said:
"The documentary has been tagged by the festival organisers as a
'highlight' of the festival because at the time, the cameras caused
a great deal of controversy in two districts of Birmingham.
"The 'ring of steel' that was placed around a largely Muslim
area was cancelled after civil liberties campaigners complained but
there was outrage once it emerged that the project was being paid
for from a national counter-terrorism grant."
The West Midlands Human Rights Film Festival takes place between
6 September and 4 October.
'Defeat of the Champion' was commissioned by PressTV and will be
broadcast on Sky later this year.
For more information about Coventry University, please visit
their website here: www.coventry.ac.uk