Joining Our Neighbors, Advancing Hope’s (JONAH) fundamental organizing principle is RELATIONSHIP. It can be challenging to organize around emotional social issues without understanding how to talk about them with those you are in relationships with. The goal of this film festival is to provide education on a variety of social justice issues and engage attendees in thoughtful discussion that supports relationships. Our partnership with the UWEC Social Work Department and First Presbyterian Church further demonstrates how relationships make all the difference in creating something successful.
We hope you will find a way to engage with these films in the way that best works for your time, distance, and interests. We will be there to support this effort! This social justice film fest is a fun way to keep us connected to each other over the winter and we hope it becomes an annual winter event. There is much good work being done in the film industry to push along education on social injustices, locally and beyond.
February 8th:
Woodland Theatre
Davies Student Center 328
77 Roosevelt Avenue, Eau Claire
9-11 am: The Wall – Homelessness in Minnesota
“The Wall” provides a unique and raw look into the struggles of American poverty, addiction, and homelessness. Throughout the film residents share openly about their journeys to the camp, their lives there, and their hopes for a better future. “The Wall” features these stories within the backdrop of the overall camp story: its growth, the Twin Cities community response, and the eventual transfer of residents to shelter.”
1230-2 pm: Aging in the US
“A powerful and intimate look at the realities of aging in America and the burgeoning population of people who are 85+ years old.”
330-5 pm: Tutwiler and Winn – Pregnancy while incarcerated
Tutwiler: “What is it like to give birth — and then be forced to say goodbye to your baby 24 hours later? “Tutwiler,” a documentary from FRONTLINE and The Marshall Project, offers a powerful and unforgettable window into the lives of incarcerated pregnant women — and what happens to their newborns.”
Winn: “After experiencing neglect and traumatic loss while pregnant in prison, Pamela Winn becomes an activist, leading hundreds of thousands to support the Dignity Bill to end the shackling of pregnant people in prison. “WINN” exposes the horrifying experience that incarcerated pregnant people endure and documents Pamela’s mission to end shackling and ultimately prison birth.”
6-8 pm: Joe Bell – Mental health & LGBTQ
“The true story of a small-town, working-class father who embarks on a walk across the U.S. to crusade against bullying after his son is tormented in high school for being gay. Meanwhile, he realizes he is instead missing out on his son’s life back at home.”
February 9th:
First Presbyterian Church
2112 Rudolph Rd, Eau Claire
9-11 am: Bias – Uncovering unconscious bias
“Bias’ challenges us to confront our hidden biases and understand what we risk when we follow our gut.”
1-3 pm: Rising Up in the Heartland & Living Undocumented – Immigration
Rising Up: “COVID-19 hammered essential workers across the United States. After long struggles to regain their health, marginalized and undocumented Latino workers in rural Iowa took on a bold new challenge this year: demanding a share of the pandemic relief funds that have excluded them. First, they fought for their lives. Now they are fighting for their livelihoods.”
Living Undocumented: “A look at the lives of undocumented immigrants living in the United States.”
430-6 pm: Not Enough Apologies – Impact of child poverty
“Explore how adverse childhood experiences can result in changes to the brain, leading to cascading behavioral and mental health problems. Discover how service providers across Wisconsin are working to be responsive to trauma in efforts to change the trajectory for affected children.”
7-830 pm: Portraits from Rural Wisconsin description
“A documentary offering a series of interwoven personal stories, conveying why some western Wisconsin residents still say that “rural life is the best life” — even in the face of hardship and change.”
February 10th: Virtual Option – 10-1130 am
Watch these films at home and join our Zoom discussion (three 20 min. discussion sessions)
Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZMkcO-vrzkrGdGzxUAaZBIeViL8Zs8R18Oj
Films for Discussion (click on the link to watch the film)
#1 Not Enough Apologies: (PBS) https://pbswisconsin.org/trauma/
#2 The Wall – Homelessness in Minnesota: (YOUTUBE) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hZMy7Q0U88I
#3 Portraits of Rural Wisconsin: (PBS) https://pbswisconsin.org/portraits/
#4 Kiss the Ground – Environment: (NETFLIX) https://www.netflix.com/title/81321999