SUN RISE

Every morning, the sun rises and bathes all living beings on Earth in its rays— the kind-hearted, the malicious, and even politicians who awaken animosity and hatred among people, politicians who incite wars and encourage individuals to destroy each other. In every war, hundreds of thousands of young and strong citizens perish, individuals who could have built a peaceful and happy life.

We are convinced that in life, there is no reason, no contradiction that cannot be resolved peacefully. To remain silent during war is to support the people's instinct for hatred, to encourage the mass destruction of civilian populations, including the mass killing of children in the Gaza Strip. To stay silent is to approve the death of hundreds of thousands of soldiers fighting each other in Ukraine.

That's why anti-war demonstrations sweep across the world like raging ocean waves. This is why we, people with humanitarian education, could not and cannot stand idly by, silently observing as the world descends each year towards fascism, nuclear war, global catastrophe, and the demise of humanity.

This is why we created the online film festival "Bridge of Peace," where the main goal is embedded in its very name— the fight for peace. Film is the most massive and emotional form of art, capable of touching the hearts, souls, and minds of viewers. Through cinema, through the best anti-war films, the idea of universal peaceful coexistence can be conveyed to a large part of our planet's population.

That's precisely why we, representatives of the intelligentsia with humanitarian education, found it impossible to stand aside from life's central question— the question of "war and peace." In 2021, using our personal funds, we registered the association "Art without Borders - Bridge of Peace" (ASFPP) in France and held the first "Bridge of Peace" film festival before the onset of the war in Ukraine and the Gaza Strip.

In 2022, our initiative was supported by the most enlightened, bold, and honest filmmakers. Today, they, on a voluntary basis and in response to the call of the heart, have become ambassadors of the "Bridge of Peace" film festival.

This year, 121 films from 41 countries around the world have registered for the film festival. The best films will be selected by members of the international jury for global broadcast from December 15 to 21, 2023.

We invite filmmakers from all continents to support the "Bridge of Peace" film festival with their anti-war films to strengthen the movement for peace. Nex edition of the BRIDGE OF PEACE will start in April 2023.

Azretali Saubanov,

President of the International Jury

of the BRIDGE OF PEACE film festival