By Tim Saunders on December 19, 2008
Ben Affleck attended the premiere of his new short film about the crisis in the Congo on Wednesday.
Gimme Shelter is a four minute documentary set to the music of the Rolling Stones and focusing on humanitarian issues in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
“It’s an issue that I care a lot about – which is what’s going on in the Congo,” Affleck told Access Hollywood. "So, I made this film for the UNHCR, which is the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees. I really am passionate about the humanitarian situation in the Congo, so I made a film about refugees – kind of centered around what’s happening in the Congo."
Affleck addressed the UNHCR at the UN Headquarters in NY following the premiere.
“When awareness is raised, when constituencies start to pay attention, they are more likely to pay attention to that one thing than another,” he said. “What I can do is care about something. What I can do is make it important to my elected officials. Diplomacy is free.”
The UNHCR Gimme Shelter campaign also hopes to raise $23 million in 2009 for emergency humanitarian assistance kits to help displaced persons in the Congo. The film will be distributed worldwide through the Internet, television, mobile phones, cinemas, and hotel chains.
To view the new film, click here.
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