festival guests

Marek Vítek (CZ)
investigative journalist
As a journalist of the Agency A-NEWS and a reporter of the Czech television, Marek Vítek has worked for Czech media since 1991. For his TV programme „the Facts“, he has won several worldwide media awards, namely the Czech journalist award 1999, Sains-Novartis for investigative journalism – Hopkins University in Washington 1999, UNICEF/AMADE award in 2001. He has made several documentary films about Africa, Iraq, Afghanistan and other parts of the world.

Jaromír Štětina (CZ)
senator of the Czech Parliament, former journalist
Jaromír Štětina is a former journalist and a geologist. After 1990 he worked as a reporter in Moscow. He co-founded the humanitarian NGO People in Need Association in 1993. In the same year, he and Petra Prochádzková established the agency Epicentrum, which specializes on reporting from conflict areas. He has organized around 25 international expeditions, written 5 books and made dozen documentary films.
 
Sacita Chumaidova (Chechnya)
protagonist of the film Dear Muslim
Sacita Chumaidova is a main protagonist of the film Dear Muslim. She escaped from Chechnya together with her husband and family to Poland in September 2003. Her family members’ lives had been in danger because of her and her husband’s journalist activities focused on crimes committed against the civilians in their homeland. Her family currentlz lives in Poland. They obtained the asylum status in June 2004. Sacita was born in 1962 and before war she used to work with children as a director of a cultural centre.

Lucienne Lanaz (CH)
film director of the film „Grief and Revolt“ and film producer 
A Swiss national, Lucienne LANNAZ is a director and a film producer (JURA-FILMS). As a honorary member of the Swiss Association of Film Directors, she was a member of the jury of several European festivals. She is the author of more than thirty documentaries. Her films are internationally acclaimed and are known for their enduring commitment to advocate for human rights.
 
Laurence Deonna (CH)
writer, reporter and photographer
A Swiss national Laurence DEONNA is a writer, reporter and a photographer. She has been reporting for thirty years on Middle-East affairs – covering the region from Yemen to Iran, and her photo exhibitions were presented to audiences in Europe, USA and Canada. She is the author of a dozen of books. In 1987, she was awarded the UNESCO Peace Education Prize for her book "The War with Two Voices", which inspired the film "Grief and Revolt".

Nwe Aung (Barma)
member of  National Council of the Union of Burma
Nwe Aung is a member of the National Council of the Union of Burma (NCUB) and also a representative of the National Coalition Government of the Union of Burma (NCGUB Europe Office – Germany). He now lives in Cologne.

Sabe Amthor Soe (Barma)
co-founder of Burma Center Prague, o.p.s.
She is a leading activist of the BCP. The organisation aims to increase awareness of the public about Burma in the Czech and Slovak republics as well as to support people of Burma by conducting projects and various awareness activities. The BCP organizes cultural activities and awareness campaigns, provides assistance to Burmese refugees in the Czech republic and carries out development projects in Burma.

Kyaw Lin Oo (Barma)
human rights activist
Kyaw Lin Oo was studying economics at the university in Rangoon, when he helped organize demonstrations calling for the end of military rule in Burma and democratization of the country. After he learnt that the military intelligence was going to arrest him, he fled to neighboring Thailand. Currently, he works in an organization aimed at helping Burmese migrant workers who make their living as manual laborers at construction sites and rubber plantations in southern Thailand. 

Saw Charles Noe (Barma)
human rights activist
Saw Charles Noe is currently working in the Human Rights Education Institute of Burma which provides educational opportunities to Burmese refugees and migrant workers in Thailand. The Institute organizes trainings and courses on human rights, labor law, community building etc.
 
Márie Peřinová (CZ)
NGO People in Need
Márie Peřinová has worked for the non-governmental organization People in Need Czech republic since 1999. She coordinates activities focused on development assistance to Burmese people.

Taghreed Elsanhouri (UK)
film director
Taghreed Elsanhouri is a Sudanese film director. At the festival, she will present her film „All About Darfur“. She now lives in the UK.

Adam Novak (UK)
expert on the development aid projects
British expert on development aid projects. He has visited Indonesia after tsunami on several occasions.

Katarína Marettová (SK)
volunteer in Syria and Lebanon
Katarína Marettová is a university graduate of Arabic and Islamic studies. She worked as a volunteer of the People in Peril Association (PIPA) in Syria and Lebanon between August and September 2006.

Matúš Beňovič (SK)
humanitarian worker in Sri Lanka
Matúš Beňovič worked as a humanitarian worker of PIPA in Sri Lanka, where he coordinated post-humanitarian projects for the survivors of the 2004 tsunami disaster.
 
Marcela Ondeková (SK)
humanitarian worker in Afghanistan
Marcela Ondeková worked as a humanitarian worker of PIPA in Afghanistan, where she coordinated projects focused on supporting education of women and trainings for female activists.

Zuzana Humajová (SK)
Conservative Institute of M. R. Štefánik
Zuzana Humajová works as an analyst in the field of education in the Conservative Institute of M. R. Štefánik. She took part in the mission to Cuba in February 2006, where she gave lectures to Cuban teachers and tutors.

Lucia Najšlová (SK)
analyst
Lucia Najšlová works as an analyst in the Research Center of the Slovak Foreign Policy Association and is also the editor in chief of the magazine - Foreign Policy. She took part in the mission to Cuba in May 2006, which involved meeting families of political prisoners and activists.

Tomáš Hrustič (SK)
religionist, social anthropologist
Tomáš Hrustič took part in the mission to Cuba in May 2006, which involved meeting families of political prisoners and activists.