NICOLE KIDMAN, UN GOODWILL AMBASSADOR to support battle against violence on women

One over three women is a victim of violence. This alarming figure is the base for a serious UN commitment to solve the problem. Within a structural framework of initiatives pro women, the UN launches a web campaign called Say NO to Violence against Women to raise the issue and push ever more people to take action. The voice and face of the campaign is an exceptional movie star: Nicole Kidman.

As UN Goodwill Ambassador, Kidman puts a good deal of effort to support the cause along with UNIFEM, the UN agency providing financial and technical assistance to innovative programmes and strategies to foster women’s empowerment and gender equality; since 1976 the agency fights women poverty, AIDS/HIV infection among women and girls, violence against women and promotes the establishment of equal opportunities in all countries.

The Say NO to Violence against Women campaign aims at collecting signatures and funds, not only with the help of Nicole Kidman, but also by spreading a promotional video and addressing calls through the internet, as well as distributing Women on the Frontline a serie of 7 documentaries that was broadcast the 18th of April on BBC world. Narrated by Annie Lennox, the film first highlights the cross-national and trans-social dimension of the phenomenon and goes on by investigating the situation in 7 countries: Austria, Colombia, Congo, Mauritania, Morocco, Nepal and Turkey.

Say NO to Violence against Women initiative continues until 25 November 2008, the internationally recognized day to eliminate violence against women, when UNIFEM will hand over the signatures to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in support of UNITE his global multi-years campaign.

to support the initiative: www.saynotoviolence.org

the UN programmes for gender equality: www.un.org/womenwatch

following:
The SAY NO AGAINST VIOLENCE teaser and Nicole Kidman's call for participation

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IO, ISA WORLD CONNECTIONS: FOCUS ON JENNIFER BAICHWAL AT HOT DOCS FEST IN TORONTO

Toronto's Hot Docs Festival pays tribute to the work of Jennifer Baichwal, director of the beautiful Manufactured Landscapes, which as national premiere at IO, ISABELLA IFW 2007 stirred the admiration of Italian audiences. The Canadian director enters the crew of the many excellent Canadian non-fiction filmmakers (Mark Achbar, Peter Winthonick, etc.) that in recent years brought us wonderful pieces of work. With each new film Baichwal has expanded her considerable skills as a filmmaker, with Manufactured Landscapes (2006) widely considered among the finest international documentaries of 2007.

Focus On Jennifer Baichwal opens Saturday, April 19 at 11:00 AM with THE TRUE MEANING OF PICTURES: SHELBY LEE ADAMS' APPALACHIA at the SCENE Screening Room at the Isabel Bader Theatre in Toronto.

Hot Docs is on from April 17 to 27.

Manufactured Landscapes - the trailer

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