2002 Event Messages

Charles Cioffi (Captain Ray Tower in MISSING): "I'm prouder of doing MISSING than any other film. It's what movies should be about. I miss everyone and am sorry I can't be there on May 15th."

Isabel Allende (author): "After thirteen years of democracy in Chile, the atrocities committed during the dictatorship of Pinochet (1973-1989) are still unpunished. Justice is slow, and sometimes it never comes. Although the military have admitted the violation of human rights, most of the bodies of the victims have not been found and their families will never have peace. This is an open wound in the society; Chile struggles with its past. However, reconciliation starts by exposing the truth, and today no one can deny what really happened."

Bonnie Abaunza (Amnesty International): "In the global human rights movement, artists have been vocal figures committed to preventing human rights abuses and saving lives. The filmmakers involved in MISSING recognized the relevance of this true story and the message it embraced - the need for justice and a greater understanding of universal human rights."