UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — As part of continued efforts to engage the Penn State community in discussions around diversity and inclusion, the Center for Spiritual and Ethical Development, along with the Bahá’í Campus Association, will host a screening of the documentary, "Me, The Other" followed by a discussion with the director of the film, Shidan Majidi, at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 19, in Freeman Auditorium of the HUB-Robeson Center.
Doors will open at 6:30 p.m. Admission is free, but seating is limited and can be reserved by calling the Center for Spiritual and Ethical Development at 814-865-6548.
"Me, The 'Other'" is a documentary film created in less than five months about a diverse group of students living in Washtenaw County in southeast Michigan.
The cast of "Me, The 'Other'" has inspired the film’s unfolding rich mosaic of human experience. The cast is comprised of 12 students from three local universities in Michigan. The diverse group ranges from an African-American acting student from Flint who tells a personal heartbreaking story of the current water crisis in her community; a student from Mexico on the DACA program living in fear of deportation; a Pakistani Muslim immigrant; an interracial married couple; a #MeToo story of an orphaned Bahá’í immigrant from Cameroon; a Christian gay couple living with chronic illnesses; and a 66-year-old transgender student who was homeless and alcohol and drug-dependent but chose education over suicide.
“I believe that at this critical juncture in our journey as a human race, we need a radical paradigm shift in our approach to the preservation of our collective home by starting to view our planet as one country and humanity its citizens," said film director and co-producer Shidan Majidi. "Elimination of prejudice is one of the fundamental principles in establishing this goal. Storytelling is a powerful tool in raising awareness and bridging the gaps. With this film, we set out to tell stories of a diverse cast of characters who are on some level experiencing prejudice in their lives. They come from various backgrounds but in that deep place inside, they are all essentially one … and we are one of them. My personal hope for this film is to expose that sacred place inside where beyond the clouded isms of race, religion, class, gender, age, sexual orientation, and physical appearance lies a place of light, warmth, hope, and pure love called the human soul.”
The Center for Spiritual and Ethical Development is a unit of Penn State Student Affairs. The center offers a welcoming, safe, inclusive environment, and aims to promote an environment of appreciation and respect for religious and spiritual diversity. With a broad offering of worship opportunities, educational events, and cross-cultural programs that enrich the heart and mind, the center hosts a culturally diverse multi-faith community and celebrates our differences and similarities in a safe, supportive environment.
For more information, visit the Facebook event or contact Rachel Galloway at rwm18@psu.edu or 814-865-6548.