German film reveals human rights violation and abuse in Cuba

Havana, Feb. 15 (RHC)-- The film ‘Rabiye Kurnaz vs. George W. Bush’ by German filmmaker Andreas Dresen, was screened in the framework of the 72^nd edition of the Berlin International Film Festival, known as Berlinale. Considered a docu-drama, it tells the story of German-Turkish Murat Kurnaz, a former prisoner at the US naval base in Guantánamo, Cuba, from 2002 to 2006.

The film reveals the countless injustices and human rights violations, committed by the US army at Guantanamo, a portion of Cuban territory illegally occupied by the United States.

Dresen said that he got the idea for the film after he saw a TV interview granted by Kurnaz, following his release from prison. He then read Kurnaz’ book, ‘Five Years of My Life’, which came as a shock to the filmmaker.

The film takes the perspective of the inmate's mother (Rabiye), a woman who fought for her son until she took him back to Germany.

About Kurnaz’ mother, the website of the Berlin International Film Festival posted: “Rabiye is someone you might generally call an ordinary woman, but when it comes to watching over her children she has impressive strength.”

Shortly after the attacks of September 11, 2001, in the United States, Kurnaz was falsely accused of terrorism and sent to the Guantanamo prison camp.

Together with human rights lawyer Bernhard Docke, played by Alexander Scheer, the prisoner’s mother (Meltem Kaptan) took the fight for her son's release all the way to the US Supreme Court in Washington.

The film is among 18, competing for one of the Festival's Bears. The winners will be announced on February 16.