07/03/2024 - The new co-directors of the Genevan festival take us behind the scenes of their first year heading up the event

FIFDH co-directors Laila Alonso Huarte and Laura Longobardi (© Miguel Bueno)

Accompanied by Administrative Director Guillaume Noyé, the new editorial co-directors of the International Film Festival and Forum on Human Rights (FIFDH) Laila Alonso Huarte and Laura Longobardi spoke to us passionately about this artistically demanding and human-focused festival.

Cineuropa: How did you work together as a team?
Laila Alonso Huarte: The first edition is a bit of a rollercoaster, with moments of high-stress and moments of euphoria, of pride and acknowledgement. You go through all kinds of emotions. In terms of how we worked, we were closely aligned on lots of things, and that was lucky. We shared out the various responsibilities and trusted one another.

Laura Longobardi: This role is as new for us as it is for the festival, so we had to trust ourselves and try things out. Even if we don’t always agree, we trust one another and look for solutions together. It’s not a competition, it’s about teamwork. This festival is a collective project. We’re also lucky enough to be working with a close-knit and committed team who support us. What matters is the end result and, in the case of this new festival edition, the end result is the perfect fit for us.

You both studied political science. Where does your passion for culture and cinema stem from?
LAH: In the festivals I myself have worked at, I’ve been more involved with the development of the festival theme than with programming the actual films. That said, I consider myself to be a very creative person, and anything to do with art fascinates and nourishes me. I think I’ve got a real cinephile side, which sits very nicely with my academic background in political science. It’s a real pleasure to be able to combine these two sides of my personality.

LL: It’s a little bit different for me because after I studied political science, I ended up somewhat randomly working in the film and audiovisual production industry for the next twenty years. Admittedly, it wasn’t really what I’d envisaged doing. I’d wanted to work in politics and co-operation, or geopolitics. Thanks to the FIFDH, I finally get to combine my academic background with my experience within the audiovisual industry, specifically within the fields of production and documentaries.

What’s new and what are your film crushes in this year’s edition?
LAH: One new addition is the Spotlight section which is part of the Forum. It’s a mixture of films and panel discussions. We’re looking to highlight the social engagement of film crews and protagonists. We bring together filmmakers and protagonists who have real arguments to make, people who want to make a difference. We hope to play a facilitator role. We want to put good people in contact so that these campaigns, these initiatives, these actions have the widest impact possible. The FIFDH is really well-connected with the international side of Geneva. In terms of this new edition, I’m delighted I’ll get to attend debates on the challenges and issues surrounding artificial intelligence. What kind of world will it create ? What impact will it have on democracy and information?

LL: The public will get to reconnect with a festival that it knows, loves and has attended for over 20 years. It’s important to maintain this continuity. Our festival is very well-liked in the region. We want to carry on offering up socially-engaged films which are also wonderful to watch, alongside high-level panel discussions which help us to dissect the complexities of our society. That said, we’d like our festival to become even more international. Ours is a small event, and this allows us to follow certain films and certain teams very closely, always with a view to pleading their case and supporting them. Personally, I’m really interested in the rights of living organisms. We talk a lot about polycrisis, about the fact that all crises are interconnected. All living beings are suffering right now and, as people often say, we have to find collective solutions. This year, we’re organising a panel discussion and films along these lines. It’s something that will always be at the festival’s heart.

Laila, you’ve also worked at the Les Créatives Festival. Are you looking to bring the same intersectional feminist soul to the FIFDH?
LAH: Absolutely. I’m not planning on hacking the festival and stealing all of its themes, but we’re definitely going to support and foreground them. Over recent years especially, the festival has been inviting people to think about decolonial and intersectional issues which impact the rights of women, of minority groups, etc. I think feminist thought is occupying an increasingly important place in our festival. It’s no coincidence that we’re giving Rokhaya Diallo carte blanche this year.

(Translated from French)