Rex Bloomstein
“An Independent Mind”
Summary
The lecture delves into the importance of freedom of expression and its fundamental role in safeguarding human rights. Rex Bloomstein shares insights from his experience in creating documentaries and programs centered on human rights issues, emphasizing the critical need to protect the right to criticize and challenge authority. Through examples from the documentary An Independent Mind (2008), he explores the stories of individuals facing censorship, threats, and imprisonment for speaking out against injustices in their respective countries. The lecture underscores the complexities and challenges associated with defending freedom of expression in societies where dissent is met with severe consequences.
Rex Bloomstein
Rex Bloomstein has produced films on human rights, crime and punishment, and the Holocaust. He pioneered the modern prison documentary with films such as Lifers (1983) and Strangeways (1980), which won two British Academy Awards. As well as other television productions such as Auschwitz and the Allies, and his three-part history of anti-Semitism, The Longest Hatred, he produced KZ, described as one of the first post-modern Holocaust documentaries. Other feature documentaries include An Independent Mind (2008), on freedom of expression, This Prison Where I Live (2010), on imprisoned Burmese comedian, Zarganar, and The World of Jewish Humor (1990), which traces the evolution of Jewish humor from New York’s turn-of-the-century Lower East Side to the present.
They find it in themselves. People are motivated by many different things. Injustice, distress, abuse. I’m afraid, in most countries of the world, there are those who will say, I can’t tolerate this anymore and become human rights activists and often a great peril to themselves.
I think pressure human rights. A free media fighting the attacks on freedom of expression. Because if we don’t do that, we’re in trouble. It’s crucial that journalists, filmmakers, others, people from every walk of life have a stake in society and want to express it. So the way forward is we the people, taking on our society, exploring it, questioning it, challenging it.
The hearings that the Congressional committee are carrying out are just remarkable. What is even more remarkable is the extent of loyalty towards Trump, a man of fascist tendencies. A man who tried to steal the election. America’s under threat, undoubtedly. Part of that committee in doing what they’re doing and exposing what happened, the conspiracy, seeing it acted out, there’s democracy in action. There’s a free media doing its business.