Human Rights category of MIFF presents In Search of a better world
Updated: Jan 28, 2022
IN SEARCH OF A BETTER WORLD is the remarkable story of Payam Akhavan, one of the world’s leading human rights lawyers. Born in Iran, Payam came to Canada at the age of nine with his family, fleeing persecution by the Islamic Republic because of their Baha’i Faith. Inspired by a 16 year-old woman who was hanged in Iran as a member of the Baha'i Faith, Payam committed his life in her memory to fight for justice for others, Payam has served in the field with the UN in Bosnia, Croatia, Cambodia, Guatemala and Rwanda. He has appeared as counsel and advocate in leading cases before the world’s highest courts including the International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court.
Dr. Akhavan is a professor of international law at McGill University. In 2017, Payam was selected as the CBC Massey Lecturer and crisscrossed Canada with his best-selling book ''In Search of a Better World''. This documentary takes viewers on a dramatic journey from his roots in Iran, to the World Court at The Hague and notably to the Rohingya Refugee camps in Bangladesh, as Payam builds a legal case against Myanmar's Military and State Counsellor, Aung San Suu Kyi for genocide and crimes against humanity.
Directed by Mary Darling and Robbie Hart, the feature docu was recognized in the human rights category of the festival.
