Peace Brigades International (PBI) will organize a film screening night in collaboration with Movies That Matter on Monday the 23rd of April.
Join us for a screening of ‘The Colors of the Mountain ‘, an award-winning film about the longstanding armed conflict in Colombia. This film looks at the way violence threatens a peaceful rural community in a remote village. This story is seen through the eyes of the children.
Following the screening, we will discuss more in-depth the greater context of Colombia’s armed in a conflict in relation to children. Vilma Gómez, director of Defence for Children International-Colombia, will accompany us during this discussion by sharing her (professional) experiences on this issue.
About the film (90 min):
Every day, Manuel plays football and he dreams of becoming a great goalkeeper. His father offers him a new ball for his birthday and, for a while, it seems as if his dream will be fulfilled. When the ball accidentally ends up in a minefield, Manuel and his friends do all they can to get it back. Meanwhile, more and more stories circulate of assassinated local residents, and one by one Manuel’s friends leave the village. Even their idealistic schoolmistress is forced to make a choice. The inaccessible football becomes a symbol of their everyday lives and their shattered dreams. The Colors of the Mountains highlights, through the eyes of a child, the impossible situation in which the inhabitants of remote mountain areas in Colombia find themselves. If the village people choose the side of the guerrilla, they will be killed by the paramilitary troops; in the opposite case, they will be liquidated by the guerrilla fighters.
About Vilma Gómez:
Vilma Gómez is the director of Defence for Children International – Colombia (DNI-Colombia). This organization has a large experience working with issues related to children in armed conflict and peacebuilding, rights of indigenous girls and women and violence against children. DNI works mostly in high-risk conflict areas of the country. Vilma is recognized for her critical stand against the current children’s rights policy in Colombia. She is currently staying in Utrecht with the Shelter City program, which provides protection to human rights defenders who are at situations of risk because of the work they do.
Ticket reservation:
Reserve by ‘donating’ the ticket costs via geef.nl.