The UK French Film Festival, which opened with an official ceremony yesterday, Monday November 11 in the elegant city of Edinburgh, joined forces with humanitarian and social causes.
In the presence of an emotional audience, Dr. Debora Kayembe paid vibrant tribute to all the victims of the massacres and violence perpetrated in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo. His words, perceived as an appeal to the international conscience, recalled the suffering endured by millions of Congolese, particularly women and children, in this region marked by decades of conflict and instability.
Citing alarming statistics, she underlined the urgency of the situation: between 2006 and 2007, over 1,100 women were raped every day in the DRC – a figure that has since doubled. Sexual violence, used as a weapon of war, is just one aspect of the humanitarian tragedy affecting the east of the country. Exactions, endemic poverty and the loss of innocent lives have become the daily lot of a population forgotten by the international community.
In her speech, Dr. Kayembe launched a resounding appeal to all the world’s citizens, urging them to adopt a “collective humanity” and take an active part in establishing lasting peace. She encouraged the public to recognize the impact of international inaction on the suffering of the DRC, and to become aware of everyone’s collective responsibility to defend fundamental human rights.
Through her speech, Dr. Debora Kayembe also demonstrated the importance of the UK French Film Festival as a platform where art and activism come together. By integrating humanitarian causes into this cultural framework, the festival opens a window of visibility on realities often ignored by Western audiences. By welcoming committed voices such as Debora Kayembe, the festival continues to position itself in favor of a cinema at the service of awareness and social justice.
