Out of the Silence: The Fight for Human Rights (1992)

The 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights, introduced in the aftermath of World War II, was intended to enshrine a common understanding of human rights that states agreed to protect. In the 40 years since, it been used by groups fighting human rights abuses around the world. In communist Czechoslovakia, the members of the dissident Charter 77 group spearheaded the movement that led to the Velvet Revolution and the 1989 overthrow of the communist regime. This compassionate film contrasts their success with the struggles of Guatemalan civil rights workers in the Council of Ethnic Communities (CERJ) today, educating peasant communities about their rights. "It liberates people," explains one, "when they fight, peacefully, for what are their human rights". When it comes to human rights, the odds have always favored the abusers. This film is about changing the odds. This film is a story of victory, tragedy and hope. A testament to the courage of those who struggle to defend their human rights.