The Lincoln Log

Photo by Maria Zhao

Amensty Club members

Injustices are happening everywhere around the world. Unfortunately, in many societies, it is second nature. Students of Abraham Lincoln High School in the Amnesty International club are trying to share the awareness of these issues by hosting a film festival, showing Hollywood movies that also portrays the tyranny of this world. Amnesty is an international campaign to help end injustices around the world by helping innocent people.

Amnesty International was found in 1961, with the purpose of taking action to save others. English teacher, Luranne Drager has been running the Amnesty International club in Abraham Lincoln High School for the past five years and loves to inspire young students to fight for civil liberties. This is the first year that the film festival is held and everybody is welcome.

“These movies are to educate through exciting films that young students today can enjoy watching,” said Drager.

“Imagining Argentina” is one of the many movies that will be shown in this festival. This movie depicts a true story, of human rights that are threatened, and sometimes, taken away under dictatorships in Argentina.

“These are very powerful movies that inspire young student’s of today,” said Drager.

“In the Time of the Butterflies” is another movie shown, about three sisters in the Dominican Republic who struggle for freedom not only for themselves but for others as well. This movie is a true story that speaks to the audience to fight for their freedoms.

“The movies that are going to be played are very beautiful and portray great messages,” said Drager.

Another great and powerful movie is “Machuca,” which was shot in Chile. This movie shows the struggle of young people to save their country. They attempt to try to erase the rift between the rich and the poor.

“All these movies are not documentaries at all but they are dramatization of what is happening in the real world today,” said Drager.

Amnesty is an international movement of young people acting on the conviction that neither governments nor opposition groups may deny people their basic human rights.

“It is an organization that somehow just blossomed into the world and is doing good for a lot of people,” said Drager.

This worldwide organization writes letters to prisoners that think they don’t have anybody in the world. These letters give prisoners what little hope they have and make them realize that some people do care.

“The prisoners get so happy getting piles of letters,” Drager said.

They also write letters to powerful officials asking for a more humane treatment for the prisoners. Amnesty sends telegrams, faxes, and makes calls on behalf of the prisoners who are in immediate danger.

These film festivals are held once a month and show profound films that broadens the mind to the world around us.