Watching Human Rights analyzes more than 200 of the finest human rights films ever made. It introduces the reader to a wealth of films that might otherwise remain unknown, but it also shows the human rights themes in films that all of us are familiar with. Film puts a human face on terms such as persecution, inequality and oppression, and in doing so, it provides outsiders with vital information and meaning about the lives of “others.” This book prioritizes illumination, truthfulness and teachability, highlighting films that show complex human rights issues in a new and interesting way and can be used on a human rights course or resonate with a general audience that wants to get a better understanding of human rights issues. Suitable for use on human rights courses at undergraduate and postgraduate level, this book is ideal for instructors who want to bring film into the classroom.

Mark Gibney is the Carol G. Belk Distinguished Professor at UNC Asheville and an affiliated professor at the Raoul Wallenberg Institute in Lund, Sweden. His webpage www.WatchingHumanRights.org is devoted to reviewing and analyzing human rights film.