Student Seventeen 2015 – Freedom Lecture 2015 – discussion

On behalf of
Masaryk University Rector Mikuláš Bek,
the Masaryk University Alumni and Friends Association
and the Student Endowment Fund of the Faculty of Arts of Masaryk University
on the occasion of International Students' Day and the Year of Reconciliation initiative, organized by the City of Brno as a commemoration of the 70th anniversary of the end of WW2, you are cordially invited to attend

STUDENT SEVENTEEN,
dedicated this year to exploring themes of "barbarity vs. humanity",
to be held on Tuesday, 17 November 2015 from 2:00 PM.

2:00 PM The Living Dead – Witness of the Death Factories (documentary screening)
University Cinema Scala

Two men walk a snowy plain amongst the ruins of the former Auschwitz concentration camp. One of them is Czech journalist Stanislav Motl, the other is former prisoner Henryk Mandelbaum. What follows is a shocking story of a man who was forced to serve as a member of the infamous Auschwitz Sonderkommando, whose members were forced to aid with the disposal of gas chamber victims. The film brings to light the testimony of a man whose life has been haunted by terrible memories of unimaginable human suffering... a man who has now decided to speak... The Living Dead is an impressive documentary featuring partial reconstructions of horrific scenes which took place at the Auschwitz–Birkenau concentration camp. [Czech Republic, 2008, 63 minutes]

MAIN PROGRAMME

3:30 PM Freedom Lecture 2015: Humanity vs Barbarity – Rainer Höss and Tal Bashan, debate moderated by Don Sparling
University Cinema Scala

Rainer Höss is the grandson of one of the perpetrators of the greatest atrocities in modern history. “I know my heritage. I cannot change that,” says Rainer Höss. “It is more efficient to use the name I have been given to show that evil does not run in the bloodstream – something the Nazis claimed – that this is simply not true.” Höss decided to dedicate his life to using his name as a weapon against the doctrine it once represented. He lectures at 70 schools every year, helps lead the anti-extremist group Loud Against Nazis and actively supports a number of additional projects. In his speeches, Höss examines his family history and calls for tolerance, appealing to young people to reject all forms of bigotry and often warning that Europe is experiencing a resurgence of extremism. Tal Bashan is an Israeli journalist, daughter of writer Ruth Bondy. Her grandmother died in the Theresienstadt concentration camp, her mother survived internment in Theresienstadt and Auschwitz.
The debate will be held in English, interpreting services will be provided.

6:00 PM Traditional student lantern parade in commemoration of 17 November 1939
The parade will depart from University Cinema Scala (St. Thomas Church), heading towards Kraví hora.

8:30 PM The Power of Good: Nicolas Winton (documentary screening)
University Cinema Scala

Czech documentary directed by Matěj Mináč examines the actions of the late Sir Nicholas Winton, the "British Schindler" who rescued 669 mostly Jewish children during the Nazi occupation. The documentary film is narrated by Joe Schlesinger, a Canadian reporter with CBS and one of the rescued children. Stories told by "Winton's children" are intertwined with memories of Nicholas Winton and rare archive footage. Emotional scenes depicting the protagonist's meeting with "his children" many years later constitute a fitting finale. The documentary won an International Emmy Award for best documentary in 2002. [Czech Republic/Slovakia, 2002, 64 min]
The screening will be followed by a moderated discussion led by Zdeněk Tulis, creator of educational programmes about Nicholas Winton.

Venue

University Cinema Scala, Moravské náměstí 3, Brno
Organized by

Public Relations and Marketing Office (RMU)
Alumni and Friends of Masaryk University
Nadační fond studentů Filozofické fakulty MU

Download:

Poster (pdf)