From the plight of asylum seekers in Australia to the desperate situation of refugees on the frontlines of Afghanistan, Anthem is a powerful new documentary from Tahir Cambis (Exile in Sarajavo, MIFF 1997) and Helen Newman that chronicles the human rights struggles of our times.

Cambis, a filmmaker of Bosnian Muslim parentage, and Newman, counsellor to victims of sexual abuse and of Irish heritage, form a unique filmmaking partnership. Driven initially by their desire to expose the human rights abuses perpetrated by the Australian government, which were glossed over by the Sydney Olympics, Cambis and Newman widened their scope of investigation following the September 11 attacks in the USA. Their epic journey covers the conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq and the impact the 'War on Terror' has had on the lives of people at its frontline. Recorded over three years, Anthem is an impassioned work made all the more powerful by the filmmakers' personal struggles to come to terms with world events.

Tahir Cambis, Helen Newman and Ross Hutchens are guests of the Festival.

D/S Tahir Cambis, Helen Newman P Ross Hutchens TD Video/Col/2004/100mins

Tahir Cambis was born in Nuremberg, Germany in 1956. Films include: Exile in Sarajavo (MIFF 1997).

Helen Newman's films: Anthem (MIFF 2004).