May 3, 2005

NEW YORK – Last week, six months since the UN premier of their emotionally charged human rights music video, UNITED, Youth for Human Rights International and the Director of the film, Taron Lexton, were back in New York, this time gathering accolades at the New York International Independent Film and Video Festival.

The message, delivered with an inescapable emotional impact, was one familiar to anyone who knows the works of American writer and human rights advocate L. Ron Hubbard: "Human Rights must be made a fact, not an idealistic dream."

Following the screening a reception just off Times Square, at the Church of Scientology, gathered UN diplomats and human rights advocates from the US, Ghana, Guatemala, Holland, the Middle East, Bangladesh, Nepal, and other countries, as well as filmmakers and wellwishers. The movie had already been nominated for Best Short Dramatic Film, and accepted into half a dozen other top festivals.

"It's amazing when you consider how young we all are," said director Taron Lexton, a Los Angeles resident who was 19 years old when he filmed the music video last year. The majority of the cast and crew consisted of teenagers and pre-teens. "And I guess it also goes to show that the world actually can respond to positive material."

UNITED tells the story of an inner-city kid who has to fight for his right to play basketball. It was filmed over 8 months in 14 countries—in fact, the filmmakers completely circumnavigated the globe through the course of production.

The movie is just part of Youth For Human Rights International's master plan. Within a week of the festival showing, two new YFHR clubs had been formed, one in Harlem, one a Midtown Manhattan group. These groups join a network of youth working to get the UN's Universal Declaration of Human Rights known and applied worldwide.

Anyone in New York interested in joining or forming groups, or arranging a showing of UNITED, should call Barbara Carmichael at 212-397-1574.

New York Church of Scientology