18/03/2026
DISUNITED NATIONS
The UN and the Middle East
Documentary film premiere + QA with film director Christophe Cotteret and invited panelists!
Bio Rex Lasipalatsi April 17th 6-9pm
Mannerheimintie 22-24 Helsinki
Refugee Film Festival and Helsinki International Film Festival - Love & Anarchy warmly welcome You to an urgent and compelling film with insightful discussions!
The discussion will feature Francesca Albanese, the UN Special Rapporteur on the Occupied Palestinian Territories, remotely, and film director Christophe Cotteret in Helsinki, as well as Finnish MP Mai Kivelä, postdoctoral researcher Antti Tarvainen, Palestinian author-journalist Randa Al-Dawoudi, Saana Keskitalo from CMI - Martti Ahtisaari Peace Foundation and Majed Abusalama, Chair of Sumud - Suomen Palestiina-verkosto. The discussion is moderated by Dr. Nitin Sawhney, filmmaker and Uniarts Helsinki docent, who has convened the event.
Tickets: 10€. Optional ticket price 20€ contributed to the film production and UNRWA relief efforts in Gaza.
Duration: 80 min.
Languages in the film: Arabic, English, Italian
Subtitles: English
Panel language: English
The event’s age limit is 18 because some alcoholic beverages can be consumed.
In March 2024, Francesca Albanese, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Occupied Palestinian Territories, denounced a genocide in Gaza. Following in her footsteps, the documentary takes us to the heart of the UN’s crisis, confronted by its inability to prevent the massacre of civilians. At the height of the international crisis linked to the war in Gaza, the film follows Albanese as she carries out her mandate amid missions, institutional meetings, and political pressure.
Through interviews, archival footage, and a behind-the-scenes look at diplomatic work, the film explores the fragile balance between international law, information, and power, showing how the UN and the global community appear increasingly divided in the face of the conflict.
The United Nations was born in the years when, in 1947, the Partition Plan for Palestine was decided. Today, the Palestinian question risks becoming the ultimate test: can the Organisation hold, or is it in danger of being irreparably weakened by this historical fault line?
Tickets:
https://www.gilda.fi/en/elokuva/disunited-nations/