The National Human Rights Council (CNDH) and the Mediterranean Cinema and Human Rights Meetings Association (ARMCDH) are organizing the premiere of Faouzi Bensaid's short film The Kid(s), under the theme “Alliance of Institutions, Civil Society, and the World of Cinema to Strengthen Inclusion Policies, Protect Children in Contact with the Law, and Combat Recidivism.”
The screening will take place on Tuesday, 28 January 2025, at 7:00 pm at Cinéma La Renaissance in Rabat, Morocco.
This event is part of an ongoing advocacy initiative by institutional and civil society actors to reform the provisions of the Criminal Code and the Code of Criminal Procedure concerning children in contact with the law.
As a national institution mandated to protect and promote human rights, the CNDH plays a key role in the national institutional framework for the protection of children's rights, particularly the rights of children deprived of their liberty. The CNDH conducts visits to places of deprivation of liberty and child protection centers, among other activities.
In its annual reports on the human rights situation in Morocco, the CNDH has called for the adoption of provisions aiming to ensure that childcare mechanisms for children deprived of liberty are aligned with international standards. The CNDH has stressed that deprivation of liberty should be a measure of last resort for children, in line with Article 37 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), which states: "Every child deprived of liberty shall be treated with humanity and respect for the inherent dignity of the human person, and in a manner that takes into account the needs of persons of his or her age."
For the past 15 years, the ARMCDH has been promoting human rights culture through cinema in collaboration with civil society. The ARMCDH has developed a strategic approach that leverages cinema as a tool for fostering public debate on various issues.
The ARMCDH has also launched a pioneering initiative in partnership with the General Delegation for Prison Administration and Reintegration (DGAPR), establishing a film club named "Noureddine Saïl" in three prisons (Aït Melloul, Beni Mellal, and Casablanca). In three years, over 50 screenings and workshops were held in these prisons, benefiting over 4,000 young offenders. The initiative underscores the role of cinema as a powerful medium for self-expression, rebuilding self-confidence, and promoting social reintegration.
The Kid(s) is a short film written and directed by Moroccan filmmaker Faouzi Bensaïdi, based on a series of exchanges and inspired by the "Last Refuge" strategy, which brought together several NGOs, including Bayti Association for Children in Difficult Situations, Progettomondo Mlal, Selate Wassel Association for Combating Recidivism through Rehabilitation, African Organization for Common Ground (AOCG), Moroccan Prison Observatory (OMP), Moroccan Women Judges’ Union, and Better Future for Our Children Association (AMANE).
This 12-minute short film was produced by the ARMCDH and Liberté Films in 2024.
Synopsis:
"Beyond a reality, a law, a film, a family...
There...
Faces. Faces. Faces. Faces. Faces. Faces. Faces. Faces. Faces. Faces. Faces. Faces. Faces. Faces. Faces. Faces.
Faces. Faces. Faces. Faces. Faces. Faces. Faces. Faces."
The screening of this short film is part of the project "Cinema for Public Policy Reform in the Film Industry," funded by the European Union, CNDH, Euro-Mediterranean Foundation of Support to Human Rights Defenders (EMHRF), Heinrich Böll Foundation, Canada Fund for Local Initiatives, UN Women, and the French Institute.
