March

1st-8th
2024
MERCED HUMAN RIGHTS FILM FESTIVAL
RSVP HERE
From Gaza to Mariupol, Virginia to Merced, justice is our demand. 2024 Todo Cambia focuses on restoring and
reimagining justice in our lives. Through the transformative work of activists like the Coalition for Justice Group from
Virginia, intellectuals like Prof Dalia Magana and Prof. Jonathan Gomez, filmmakers like Rodrigo Reyes and Lina Soualem,
and the masterwork of Robert Bresson, we will think about the different meanings of justice in our lives and communities.

March 1st We Are The Rebellion: Visions of Restorative Justice

UC Merced: 5:00 PM Members and activists from the Coalition for Justice (CFJ, 1981) of Virginia will talk about
COB2 290 the relationship between incarceration, trauma, and building a community as a way to
rebel against structures of oppression
March 2nd From CA to VA: Panel Discussion on Structures of Healing
downtown: 6:00 PM Activists and leaders from California and Virginia discuss ways to form alliances
Mainzer and share challenges in contemporary USA

March 3rd Robert Bresson Retrospective

UC Merced: 2:00 PM A Man Escaped by Robert Bresson (1956, 99 mins)
ACS 120 4:00 PM Au Hasard Balthazar by Robert Bresson (1966, 95 mins)
6:00 PM L’Argent by Robert Bresson (1983, 85 mins)
March 4th Panel: The Language of Justice and Change
UC Merced: 12:00 PM Led by local activists and Professor Dalia Magaña (UC Merced); this panel will discuss
COB2 290 different strategies and uses of language in shaping healing in Merced, CA.

March 5th Screening & Filmmaker Talk: Merced Demanding Justice

downtown: 6:00 PM Sansón and Me by Rodrigo Reyes (2022, 83 mins)
Mainzer 7:30 PM Q&A with Filmmaker Rodrigo Reyes; moderated by Professor Robin DeLugan

March 7th Workshop: Poetic Justice

UC Merced: 4:00 PM Led by Professor Jonathan Gomez, San Jose State University, this workshop experiments
COB2 290 with the role of poetry in invisioning and claiming justice across Central Valley, CA.

March 8th Documentary Screenings: From Palestine to Ukraine

UC Merced: 4:00 PM Bye Bye Tiberias by Lina Soualem (2023, 82 mins)
ACS 120 6:00 PM 20 Days in Mariupol by Mstyslav Chernov (2023, 95 mins)
8:00 PM Little Palestine: Diary of a Siege by Abdallah Al-Khatib (2021, 89 mins)

accessible RSVP link: https://forms.gle/RXxQnerhLCoHcTYG6

GLOBAL ARTS MEDIA & WRITING STUDIES

SCHOOL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES, MERCED HUMAN RIGHTS FILM FESTIVAL
HUMANITIES AND ARTS
Friday, March
1st, 2024 @5:00PM We Are The Rebellion:
UC Merced: COB2 290 Visions of Restorative Justice

Members and activists from the Coalition for Justice (CFJ, 1981) of Virginia will talk
about the relationship between incarceration, trauma, and building a community as
a way to rebel against structures of oppression

Margaret Breslau is a co-founder of the
Virginia Prison Justice Network and
Chair of the Coalition for Justice (a
501(c)(3) non-profit). We work to
transform processes of
disempowerment, public and private
policies, regulations, and institutions for
those who suffer harm from inherently
unequal systems through education,
action, and working in solidarity with
other volunteer and grassroots
organizations.
Shakil Ali is the CEO of T.R.A.P (Total
Reality Approach Process) a non profit
organization committed to ending
systemic racial injustice. He is also a
National Peer Support Specialist and a
Certified Life Coach.
Hassan Shabazz is a Certified Paralegal,
and Co-founder of the Virginia Prison
Justice Network (VAPJN) who spent 23 1/2
years in prison. He is also co-founder of
Virginia Prisoner of Conscience (VAPOC)
and Prisoners Rights Clinic (PRC). He is
Public Relations Director for Freedom Over
Everything (FOE), and he is a member of
Coalition for Justice; The Virginia
Defenders for Freedom, Justice, and
Equality; and Community of United Focus.
He is a music artist, and he also co-hosts a
podcast by the name of Point of Impact.

GLOBAL ARTS MEDIA & WRITING STUDIES

SCHOOL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES, MERCED HUMAN RIGHTS FILM FESTIVAL
HUMANITIES AND ARTS
Saturday, March
2nd, 2024 @6-7:30PM
From California to Virginia:
downtown: Mainzer Panel Discussion on Structures of Healing

Activists and leaders from California and Virginia discuss ways to form alliances and share
challenges in the contemporary USA.

Margaret Breslau is a co-founder of the
Virginia Prison Justice Network and Chair of
the Coalition for Justice (a 501(c)(3) non-
profit). We work to transform processes of
disempowerment, public and private policies,
regulations, and institutions for those who
suffer harm from inherently unequal systems
through education, action, and working in
solidarity with other volunteer and grassroots
organizations.
Shakil Ali is the CEO of T.R.A.P (Total
Reality Approach Process) a non profit
organization committed to ending
systemic racial injustice. He is also a
National Peer Support Specialist and a
Certified Life Coach.
Hassan Shabazz is a Certified Paralegal, and
Co-founder of the Virginia Prison Justice
Network (VAPJN) who spent 23 1/2 years in
prison. He is also co-founder of Virginia
Prisoner of Conscience (VAPOC) and Prisoners
Rights Clinic (PRC). He is Public Relations
Director for Freedom Over Everything (FOE),
and he is a member of Coalition for Justice; The
Virginia Defenders for Freedom, Justice, and
Equality; and Community of United Focus. He is
a music artist, and he also co-hosts a podcast
by the name of Point of Impact.

Andrew Winn is a distinguished leader at the intersection of environmental and criminal justice, currently
serving as the Executive Director of the Insight Garden Program. As a formerly incarcerated individual, Andrew
brings a unique perspective to his work, emphasizing the transformative power of horticultural therapy within
prison settings and holistic reentry support. His commitment extends to higher education, where he played a
pivotal role in building and developing the Underground Scholars Initiative at UCLA and Project Rebound at
Sacramento State University. Andrew is recognized for his expertise in addressing the challenges faced by
individuals impacted by the criminal justice system while actively contributing to meaningful policy changes.
Arnoldo Trevino - After serving 25 years in prison, Arnoldo deeply values the opportunity to show current and
formerly incarcerated individuals that change is possible. Since his release, Arnoldo, graduating Dean’s
Medalist, has earned his master’s in social work, the position as the Outreach Coordinator for Project
Rebound at CSU Fresno, and Program Manager for the Insight Garden Program at Avenal State Prison.
Through lived experience and leading by example, Arnoldo inspires these men and women to reconnect to
their inner selves by using education and nature as a tool to motivate them to move forward in life. When
Arnoldo is not out trying to save the world, he can be found fishing, hiking and camping, usually with those he
is trying to help.

GLOBAL ARTS MEDIA & WRITING STUDIES

SCHOOL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES, MERCED HUMAN RIGHTS FILM FESTIVAL
HUMANITIES AND ARTS
Sunday, March
3rd, 2024 @2:00PM
UC Merced: ACS 120
ROBERT BRESSON RETROSPECTIVE

2:00PM A Man Escaped by Robert Bresson (1956, 99 mins)

A captured French Resistance fighter during WWII engineers a
ACS 120
daunting escape from a Nazi prison in France.

4:00PM Au Hasard Balthazar by Robert Bresson (1966, 95 mins)

The story of a mistreated donkey and the people around him.
ACS 120
A study on saintliness and a sister piece to Bresson's Mouchette.

6:00PM L’Argent by Robert Bresson (1983, 85 mins)

A counterfeit bill that starts off as a schoolboy prank leads to
ACS 120
incarceration and violence.

GLOBAL ARTS MEDIA & WRITING STUDIES

SCHOOL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES, MERCED HUMAN RIGHTS FILM FESTIVAL
HUMANITIES AND ARTS
Monday, March
4th, 2024 @12:00PM Panel: The Language of
UC Merced: COB2 290 Justice and Change

Led by local activists and Professor Dalia Magaña (UC Merced); this panel will
discuss different strategies and uses of language in shaping healing in Merced, CA.

Dalia Magaña is an Associate Professor of Spanish Linguistics at the University of California,

Merced. Her research focuses on improving healthcare communication with Spanish speakers
and developing intentional language pedagogy. She is professionally and personally invested in
helping address language and cultural barriers because she grew up watching her rural
Mexican mother face numerous communication challenges in all spheres, but most
dangerously, in health care.

Candice Adam-Medefind has a Law Degree from UC Berkeley and has worked as a community
organizer in the Central Valley for the past 45 years. She is currently the Executive Director of
Healthy House Within a MATCH Coalition, a cultural non-profit dedicated to addressing health
disparities in the multi-ethnic communities of the Central Valley of California. She also directs
the Healthy House Language Bank which trains and provides professional Language & Cultural
Specialists, proficient in 16 languages, respectively, to public and private healthcare,
TBD
governmental, and social service agencies in a six county area.

Belle Vallador serves as the Office Manager and Project Coordinator at Healthy House, where
she has helped advance initiatives addressing Elder Abuse, Breast Cancer Research, and Oral
Health within marginalized communities in Merced. Beyond her instrumental role in project
coordination, Belle identifies herself as a dedicated advocate for the communities directly
impacted by these initiatives.

GLOBAL ARTS MEDIA & WRITING STUDIES

SCHOOL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES, MERCED HUMAN RIGHTS FILM FESTIVAL
HUMANITIES AND ARTS
Tuesday, March
5th, 2024 @6:00PM
SCREENING & FILMMAKER TALK:
downtown: Mainzer Merced Demanding Justice

6:00PM Sansón and Me by Rodrigo Reyes (2022, 83 mins)

Follows a young immigrant's path from coastal Mexico to a life
Mainzer
sentence for murder in California.

7:30PM Q&A with Filmmaker Rodrigo Reyes

moderated by Professor Robin DeLugan
Mainzer
Rodrigo Reyes, Director
Mexican director Rodrigo Reyes (Mexico City, 1983), makes films deeply grounded in his identity as an immigrant
artist, crafting a poetic gaze from the margins, using striking imagery to portray the contradictory nature of our
shared world, while revealing the potential for transformative change. He has received the support of The Mexican
Film Institute (IMCINE), Sundance and Tribeca Institutes, while his films have screened on PBS and Netflix. His
film “499,” won Best Cinematography at Tribeca and the Special Jury Award at Hot Docs. Rodrigo is a recipient of
the prestigious Guggenheim and Creative Capital Awards, as well as the Rainin Fellowship, the SF Indie Vanguard
Award and the Eureka Fellowship. His latest film, "Sansón and Me," won the Best Film Award at Sheffield DocFest,
and was the opening film for the 2023 season premiere of the celebrated documentary series Independent Lens,
on PBS.

GLOBAL ARTS MEDIA & WRITING STUDIES

SCHOOL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES, MERCED HUMAN RIGHTS FILM FESTIVAL
HUMANITIES AND ARTS
Thursday, March
7th, 2024 @4:00PM POETRY WORKSHOP:
UC Merced: COB2 290 Poetic Justice
Led by Professor Jonathan Gomez, San Jose State University, this workshop
experiments with the role of poetry in invisioning and claiming justice across Central
Valley, CA.
Dr. Jonathan D. Gomez is a Poet and Assistant Professor of Chicana and Chicano Studies at San José
State University. Gomez was born and raised in the City Terrace barrio of East Los Angeles. He is the
founder and facilitator of the Culture Counts Reading Series, a transformative pedagogy project that
encourages participants to utilize poetry as provocation and permission to write about and speak up for
their rights to a livable destiny. His scholarship and teaching center race, space, and the connections
between Chicanx cultural expression and urban social movements.

Alberto Camacho I am a proud product of East San Josè in every aspect — this side of town has given
me a kind of nurturing that’s very unique. I currently server the East Side as an educator at Silver Creek
High where I work hard to remind students of their capabilities and the beauty that they bring to
campus.

Jorge Castillo is a Transfer student and graduating Senior at SJSU who is Majoring in Chicana and
Chicano Studies with a Minor in African-American Studies. He is from Pacoima, CA in the San Fernando
Valley. Until he participated in CCRS, his exposure to poetry consisted of listening to Hip Hop poets
such as Tupac Shakur, Lauryn Hill, and Nasir Jones. As a Prison Abolitionist scholar, Jorge has learned
through CCRS just how impactful poetry can be for creating healing spaces of conviviality that center
creativity, community care & holistic wellbeing, and liberation.

GLOBAL ARTS MEDIA & WRITING STUDIES

SCHOOL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES, MERCED HUMAN RIGHTS FILM FESTIVAL
HUMANITIES AND ARTS
 Friday, March
8th, 2024 @4:00PM DOCUMENTARY SCREENINGS:
From Palestine to Ukraine
UC Merced: ACS 120

4:00PM Bye Bye Tiberias by Lina Soualem (2023, 82 mins)

Years after leaving her Palestinian village to pursue an acting career in France, Hiam
ACS 120 Abbass returns home with her daughter, in this intimate documentary about four
generations of women and their shared legacy of separation.

6:00PM 20 Days in Mariupol by Mstyslav Chernov (2023, 95 mins)

ACS 120 As the Russian invasion begins, a team of Ukrainian journalists trapped in the besieged
city of Mariupol struggle to continue their work documenting the war's atrocities.

8:00PM Little Palestine: Diary of a Siege by Abdallah Al-Khatib (2021, 89 mins)

After the Syrian Revolution, Al-Assad's regime besieges the district of Yarmouk, largest
ACS 120 Palestinian refugee camp in the world. Yarmouk is cut off. The director records the daily
deprivations while celebrating the people's courage.

GLOBAL ARTS MEDIA & WRITING STUDIES

SCHOOL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES, MERCED HUMAN RIGHTS FILM FESTIVAL
HUMANITIES AND ARTS