Past
Documentaries For Hope & Healing
Overview
In response to the incredible difficulties posed by 2020, from the COVID-19 pandemic to the ongoing struggle against racism and police brutality, the Docs for Hope + Healing virtual screening series aims to provide a space for communities across the country to gather safely together and watch films that resonate with local concerns. This screening series is made possible with support from the Open Society Foundations.
About Love with Asian Mental Health Project
On Saturday, March 27, POV partnered with Asian Mental Health Project to host a virtual screening of About Love and a community art show. Artists and attendees throughout the U.S., and internationally from Canada, Taiwan, India, Berlin, and London, came together to watch the film and enjoy the virtual art gallery showcasing art that reflected themes of healing from intergenerational trauma, cultural expectations and norms. The art show finalists Stephanie Han for Floating, Christie Ma for [no translation accessible], and Ashley Abigail Resurreccion for The Cultural Telephone project spoke so powerfully about the intentions behind their creative projects and were each awarded $100. The event included video messages from filmmaker Archana Atul Padke and her mother Maneesha, and concluded with an open conversation around the film’s exploration of love, loss, and hope led by NY-based mental health therapists Dr. Sarika Persaudand Israa Nasir.
About Asian Mental Health Project
The Asian Mental Health Project aims to educate and empower Asian communities in seeking mental healthcare.
There is a pervasive cultural stigma that often discourages members of our community from receiving the help they need. In many Asian American communities, and in the greater American population, there exists a general lack of knowledge about mental health and mental illnesses. Because many of the symptoms of suffering are “invisible,” it is often harder for mental illnesses to be acknowledged. There is a misconception that struggling with mental health is a choice or a sign of weakness.
Softie with NYC Public Advocate
On Saturday, March 6, POV partnered with the Office of the New York City Public Advocate to host a virtual screening of Softie featuring a Q&A with protagonists Boniface and Njeri Mwangi and remarks from public advocate Jumaane D. Williams. Centering courageous conversations around systemic oppression and healing justice, the event also included breakout rooms with healing practitioners Arin Maya (sound healing) and Anooj Bhandari.
About the Public Advocate Office
The Public Advocate is a non-voting member of the New York City Council with the right to introduce and co-sponsor legislation. Prior to a 2002 charter revision, the Public Advocate was also the presiding officer of the Council. The Public Advocate also serves as an ombudsman for city government, providing oversight for city agencies, investigating citizens' complaints about city services and making proposals to address perceived shortcomings or failures of those services. These duties, worded somewhat ambiguously, are laid out in Section 24 of the City Charter. The Public Advocate serves on the committee which selects the director of the New York City Independent Budget Office and appoints members to several boards and commissions, including one member of the New York City Planning Commission. The Public Advocate also serves as chair of the Commission of Public Information and Communication established by Section 1061 of the New York City Charter. Along with the Mayor and the Comptroller, the Public Advocate is one of three municipal offices elected by all the city's voters. In the event of a vacancy or incapacity of the mayor, the Public Advocate is first in line to become Mayor.
About Public Advocate Jumaane D. Williams
Jumaane D. Williams is the Public Advocate of the City of New York. Previously, he served on the NYC Council representing the 45th District.
Jumaane is a first-generation Brooklynite of Grenadian heritage. He graduated from the public school system, overcoming the difficulties of Tourette's and ADHD to earn a Master's Degree from Brooklyn College. He began his career as a community organizer at the Greater Flatbush Beacon School and later served as the Executive Director of NYS Tenants & Neighbors. There, he fought for truly affordable, income-targeted housing across New York City and State.
In the NYC Council, Jumaane championed landmark legislation that fundamentally transformed policing in NYC. Jumaane sponsored the Community Satety Act, reforming the City's Police Department by ending the abuse of Stop, Question & Frisk in communities of color and creating the NYPD's Office of Inspector General to investigate unlawful & unethical behavior.
As former Co-Chair of the Council’s Task Force to Combat Gun Violence, he helped create New York’s Crisis Management System, which funds Cure Violence Groups that work to reduce shootings through a multi-pronged approach. The program fundamentally transformed the city’s approach to gun violence prevention, and as Public Advocate he continues to work for its expansion and improvement today.
Jumaane has led the fight for better policing and safer streets, affordable housing, and transparency and accountability in City government. As Public Advocate, Jumaane will continue to be an activist-elected official who brings the voices of everyday New Yorkers to City government and makes New York a truly progressive beacon for all.
Softie with Black Visions Collective
On Saturday, February 27, POV partnered with Minneapolis-based organization Black Visions Collective hosted a virtual screening of Softie featuring a Q&A with protagonists Boniface and Njeri Mwangi. Centering the hope and healing in BIPOC community activism, the event also included breakout rooms with healing practitioners Arin Maya (sound healing), Tori Wolfe-Sisson (yoga), and DejaJoelle (meditation).
Leslie, MinneapolisBeen coordinating shipments of raffle prizes to attendees of H&H events; people are sooo appreciative: “Oh my! How exciting! I have to tell you, Aqiyla, that screening was a powerful experience. I loved the calming meditations and the film was quite moving. Thank you for providing such an all encompassing event. Also, thank you so very much for this generous raffle offer winning. Can’t wait!”- Leslie from Minneapolis
About Black Visions Collective
Since 2017, Black Visions Collective, has been putting into practice the lessons learned from organizations before us in order to shape a political home for Black people across Minnesota. We aim to center our work in healing and transformative justice principles, intentionally develop our organization's core “DNA” to ensure sustainability, and develop Minnesota’s emerging Black leadership to lead powerful campaigns. By building movements from the ground up with an integrated model, we are creating the conditions for long term success and transformation. Black Visions Collective envisions a world in which ALL Black Lives Matter. We use the guidance and brilliance of our ancestors as well as the teachings of our own experiences to pursue our commitment to dismantling systems of oppression and violence. We are determined in our pursuit of dignity and equity for all.
Special Thanks
Masthead
- Asad Muhammad, VP of Engagement & Impact Strategy
- Aqiyla Thomas, Manager of Community Engagement
- Rachel Friedland, Community Partnerships Senior Associate
- Robert Sayler, Outreach Specialist
Major Funding
This program was made possible by a pilot grant from Open Society Foundations. Additional support was provided by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Hollywood Foreign Press Association Charitable Trust and the Lefkofsky Family Foundation.