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Affiche du Mandat

The Mandate

For whom international law matters

Un documentaire de Stefan Ziegler

Synopsis

"If international law […] is not respected then the alternative in the long run will be chaos..." 

Awn Shawkat Al-Khasawneh, former ICJ Judge

 

Researched and filmed over eight years, with unprecedented access to judges from the International Court of Justice as well as leading experts in international law, diplomacy and politics, The Mandate takes us on a deeply personal and philosophical journey into the battle of relevancy for international law. As lawful borders are invaded, cries of dissent are stamped out and fake news goes viral, the film poses the question ‘who holds the right and responsibility – the mandate – to act’?

Extended Version

The West Bank separation barrier/Wall – built by Israel to separate Israelis and Palestinians - was begun in 2002 and is ongoing today. It was erected without consulting any Palestinians and has severed their communities, families and ancestral lands. In 2004 the International Court of Justice (ICJ), created by the UN to handle disputes between nations, ruled that the Wall violated international law and should be dismantled. The ICJ has no enforcement power; carrying out its decisions is up to the international community. Twenty years later, nothing has been done.

 

In 2015, Stefan Ziegler - following a long career centered on humanitarian action including nine years in Palestine working on refugee issues - having witnessed firsthand the pain and misery created by the Wall and how the ICJ’s decision has been ignored, decided to advocate through the medium of film. The result was the 2018 award-winning film BROKEN – A Palestinian Journey Through International Law which screened at numerous festivals worldwide, received strong press reviews and continues a successful run on the educational circuit.

With the positive impact of his film BROKEN, Ziegler now returns with an ambitious new film The Mandate, which builds on the themes explored in BROKEN, pulling back the focus to take a broad look at the current state of international law.

 

The Mandate unfolds as a triptych. In part one - a series of unprecedented interviews with judges from the International Court of Justice reveals their thoughts on the lack of action by the international community on their ruling on the Wall while also addressing the importance and fragility of international law.

 

In part two, Ziegler steps in front of the camera and reveals his impassioned philosophical journey regarding international justice and what he sees as a way forward to preserve and empower it. He makes a convincing case for why international justice matters and his personal commitment to strengthening it.


And in part three, Ziegler moves from individual responsibility to that of the global community. From the idea of the traditional public square –the birthplace of public discourse and policy - Ziegler turns to our modern public square, the Zoom meeting. Here, a diverse group of people he has crossed paths with throughout his career – intellectuals, activists, heads of NGO’s, international law experts, policy makers and members of his film crew - share their thoughts on the path forward for international justice.


Each part of this triptych builds towards a solution and ultimately hope for what has become an intransigent and desperate international quagmire; beginning with the judges who sound the alarm on the urgent need of support for international justice, to the filmmaker taking up this mandate to civil society’s role and responsibilty.
 

The Mandate thus acts as a dynamic intellectual journey, reaching its destination in the power of the people to uphold what is crucially important and manifest the justice that everyone deserves.

Stefan Ziegler

Director and Producer

“The Mandate” is a culmination of acquired knowledge and experience over time.


Humanitarian turned filmmaker is a journey I was not able to foresee. However, witnessing suffering of people in conflicts the world over came with the realization that standing idly by was never an option. The drive to effect change grew proportionally with the numbness in the face of uncontrolled anger and greed, warmongering and profiteering.

 

Having learned that international law adhered to in conflict is the best guarantor for sustainable peace. I was determined, to give it my all to make that change. Working in the ‘field’ and in countless missions I realized early on was not the only way to press for the respect of the law and for humanity.
 

When I turned to filmmaking and potentially strengthening international law that way, I realized the power of messaging and advocacy through film.
 

From the moment I returned home, in 2014, I worked toward these goals. From the beginning I sensed that the messages in the film were of equal importance to those eager to learn. Now, ten years later and after releasing my second feature documentary, I am convinced of the central importance education through film.
 

“BROKEN – A Palestinian Journey Through International Law” has made its way into more than one hundred university libraries giving over a million students access to the film. Tens of thousands of students are actually being taught with our film each year. Master’s and PhD students’ theses have been inspired by it and numerous articles written in different languages.


Additionally, BROKEN has been debated, and many times in my presence, in film festivals, academia, and by organisations, including the United Nations. The film seems timeless as we now receive more inquiries than at any time before, testifying to its significance. Shortly after the release of BROKEN I started working on a project we call “Behind-the-Chambers: testimonies by international law experts”. Two series of these are available to the public and soon to be released on podcasts. A new series has been started called: “Outside-the- Chambers: testimonies about international law from leaders and diplomats”.


An educational film based on extensive research is almost ready to be released. “The Curious - International Law for Youth” is targeted for secondary school pupils starting from 14 years plus. It has been created in collaboration with over 60 teachers in 20 countries and supported by a team of senior law experts over the last number of years.
 

Now, with all that extra knowledge and experience we are releasing “The Mandate – for whom international law matters” into a world, sadly, much more in need of it.

 

Thanks go to all those who appreciate our film work and for making “The Mandate” a new journey to strengthen international law.

StefanZieglerUkraine2015
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