SAHARA PRESSE SERVICE

SPS
SADR/FESTIVAL/CINEMA
Closure of the 2nd International Festival of the Cinema in Aousserd

Aousserd (refugees camps), 06/03/2005 (SPS) The 2nd International Festival of the Cinema of the Sahara was closed Sunday in Aousserd with the presence of the President of the Republic, Mohamed Abdelaziz, and an important delegation from the European Parliament and Spanish Parliaments besides more than 300 foreign participants.

"It was a great success that would encourage the organisers and the participants to its activities", declared Pepe Taboada, Director of the International Festival (FISAHARA), to SPS.

Giving a briefing on this annual cultural event, which took place from the 3rd to the 6th March, Mr. Taboada underlined that the participants "increased in quantity and quality compared to last year".

Other that distraction it constituted during all the week to the benefit of the Saharawi refugees and the training in the workshops if documentary film's making and sound, the festival also allowed foreign participants to deepen their knowledge of Saharawi people and to closely consider the precarious conditions in which it leads its legitimate struggle for freedom and independence", he added.

"They were satisfied with their sojourn here", he underlined, adding that these same participants were influenced by "the lesson of dignity and resistance Saharawi people represents".

Mr. Taboada indicated that the strong presence of film-directors, producers, actors and other imminent "is a proof to the solidarity of the world of culture and cinema with the Saharawi people and a moral support it can rely on".

He added that one of the objectives of the Festival is to "break the wall of silence erected around the conflict, which some parties try to forget or hide" and which "responsibility is in its greatest part that's of Spanish Government and of European Union".

Mr. Taboada also put forward that the Festival contributed to the first brick of the Saharawi Academy of Cinema. (SPS)

010/090/000 062005 MAR 05 SPS

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SPS
SADR/FESTIVAL/CINEMA
Personalities of the world of culture ask Spanish Government to support Saharawis

Aousserd (refugees camps), 06/03/2005 (SPS) Professionals of the world of culture and cinema called European Governments, social society and communities institutions "Spanish in particular" to "collaborate and support the fair cause of the Saharawi people", reported the manifesto of the 2nd International Festival of the cinema of the Sahara, which ended its activities Sunday in the Saharawi refugees camps.

The manifesto also claimed for the contribution of these institutions in "the enforcement, with no more delays, the international legality by putting pressures on Morocco to respect UN's resolutions on Western Sahara and organise a referendum on self-determination".

The signatories expressed their preoccupation about the seriousness of the situation in which "this brave people is living for more than 28 years and who still resist with dignity against the illegal occupation of its territory and against the unawareness of the international community".

We are here because "the lack of interest is the worst enemy of Saharawi people in its struggle to recover its territory now divided", they said. (SPS)

010/090/000/TRD 062038 MAR 05 SPS

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SPS
SADR/FESTIVAL/CINEMA
The Award of the 2nd international Festival of the Cinema of the Sahara given to Moussa Absa from Senegal

Aousserd (refugees camps), 06/03/2005 (SPS) The Award of the 2nd international Festival of the Cinema of the Sahara was given Sunday to Moussa Sene Absa, from Senegal, for his film "Madame Brouette" (Senegal-Canada-France, 2004) following the decision of a jury from Saharawi spectators designated to give its judgement on some 20 films presented in this Festival.

The Award, a white camel, which symbolises peace in Western Sahara, was offered to the winner by the Saharawi Minister for Culture and Sports, Mr. Mariam Salek.

Asked about his impressions, Mr. Absa indicated to that this award will mark his life forever been impressed by the fact "of presenting this film to such a fantastic people", with reference to Saharawis.

"The people of Senegal is supporting Saharawi people" (…) "peoples are not concerned by the positions of their Governments", he stressed, denouncing the position of the Government of his country towards the conflict opposing Polisario to Morocco.

"Personally I want all people to have access to self-determination, to be independent, to live in their territories, under their flag, a national anthem, a national culture and to have full access to their natural resources", he concluded. (SPS)

010/090/000 062057 MAR 05 SPS

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