9/03/02--BC Law Professor Daniel Kanstroom has announced a film series at Boston College Law School, starting on Thursday, September 5, 2002 and continuing throughout the Fall 2002 semester, centering on major themes in international human rights. Arising out of Professor Kanstroom’s International Human Rights Law course and co-sponsored by the Kupferschmid Holocaust/Human Rights Project, the first film in the series is the classic: "Judgment at Nuremberg" (1961).

Directed by Stanley Kramer and featuring Spencer Tracy, Burt Lancaster, Richard Widmark, Montgomery Clift, Maximillian Schell, Judy Garland, Marlene Dietrich, and William Shatner, "Judgment at Nuremberg" is a fictionalized account of the first trials-- based upon evolving principles of international law and nascent international human rights ideals--of the leaders of a country for an "aggressive war" and the commission of war crimes and "crimes against humanity." The film covers a wide range of topics, with mixed historical accuracy in some aspects, but always in a powerful and provocative way.

"This film should lead us to reconsider the importance of these issues to a wide array of major contemporary problems," Kanstroom said, "including (but not limited to) the current debate over U.S. policy towards Iraq, the ‘war on terrorism,’ and the debate over the International Criminal Court."

Later films in the series will include, "La Ciudad," "Romero," "Kandahar," "Breaker Morant," and "The Killing Fields" and will include introductory lectures by Professors Frank Garcia, Alan Minuskin and others. The goal of the series, according to Kanstroom, is "to develop greater consciousness about international human rights and to provoke vigorous discussions within our community about the history and current aspects of human rights throughout the world."

All films will be shown in East Wing, Room 120 at Boston College Law School. Each film will be preceded by a short lecture by a faculty member or human rights activist; each film will be followed by an open discussion. Admission is free; food and soft drinks will be served. A tentative schedule follows below.

Boston College Law School
Human Rights Film Series

JUDGMENT AT NUREMBERG: 4:30 p.m. THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2002
Speaker: Prof. Daniel Kanstroom

LA CIUDAD: 4:30 p.m. THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2002
Speaker: to be announced

KANDAHAR: 4:30 p.m. THURSDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2002
Speaker: to be announced

ROMERO: 4:30 p.m. THURSDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2002
Speaker: Prof. Frank Garcia

BREAKER MORANT: 4:30 p.m. THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2002
Speaker: Prof. Alan Minuskin

THE BATTLE OF ALGIERS: 4:30 p.m. THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2002
Speaker: to be announced

THE KILLING FIELDS: 4:30 p.m. THURSDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2002
Speaker: to be announced