Festival benefits students
Dear editor:
One of the filmmakers in the Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival wrote the following to us after a visit to our school.
I could add that we visited the Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival on Friday and watched “Circle of Life.” Giving our students different perspectives on life is critical to their overall growth. Most students will not watch a documentary on their own. I was excited to see them engage in the messages and the presentations. Our school has missed a great opportunity in the past by not exposing our students to the Film Festival. Thank you Hot Springs for giving us this opportunity. We are planning to spend more time viewing and analyzing films next year.
Her letter said:
“One week ago, we had our premier screening at America’s oldest Documentary Festival at Hot Springs of the ‘Finding Home Trilogy.’ The project is a series of three short documentaries following stories of LGBT refugees, people who escaped their countries fleeing persecution, and sought refuge and to build a new life in the United States.
“Being at the festival was a really meaningful experience, our team meeting documentary filmmakers from around the world, industry representatives and members of the community. We held a Q&A following the screening and at a local radio station, discussing the issue of LGT asylum and immigration, and why this topic is so important to us, and we believe should be to others.
“On the final day of the festival, we were invited to the Hot Springs Community School to meet the students and faculty, and lead a discussion about documentary filmmaking. This was the highlight of the trip for us.
“At the school, we met Bill Vining, the headmaster, who showed us the establishment, explaining to us the unique approach the school takes, educating the students toward critical thinking, entrepreneurship and perhaps most importantly — humanistic values and compassion. On being introduced to the group, we met one of the students who had come out to his family as transgender — and had attended (unbeknown to us) the premier screening the day before. He shared with us that his parents had accepted him as transgender, and was inspired by the stories on screen — the perseverance of the LGBT refugees, in their efforts to find a place to call home, were one more story of encouragement the journey that is coming out. Two years ago we set off on our documentary filmmaking process, collaborating with the LGBT refugees, and having seen many peaks and valleys along the way — we can say for even this one interaction — the whole process was all worth it.
“The lively discussion that followed in the class — not about politics — but about the human values, and complex process of coming out, was inspiring. The students curiosity and serious conversation, unafraid to ask questions, are the makings not only of academic achievement, but also of great documentary filmmakers … With the media center they have opened up, we are hopeful that new voices may come out of Hot Springs …
“Thank you for the wonderful hospitality, and a meaningful experience we will take with us for time to come.” Bill Vining Hot Springs