The Power of Film

By Emily Snyder '21, July 14, 2020

Fundamental film series screening and discussion focuses on human rights.

Samantha Elebiary, director of the BOLD Program, coordinated the Fundamental Film screenings.

(Photo submitted)

Throughout the month of June, the Ithaca College Sexual Violence Prevention Committee brought students, faculty, staff and community members together to screen a series of five documentary films dedicated to grassroots movements and leaders who are standing up for human rights.

Titled “Fundamental,” the series was created by Global Fund for Women. BOLD Program Director Samantha Elebiary coordinated the event series with Picture Motion, a social impact agency that promotes films along with methods to engage audiences in social movements.

The series was co-hosted by the Advocacy Center of Tompkins County and featured collaboration from departments and organizations across campus including the BOLD Women's Leadership Network; the offices of International Programs, Student Engagement, Religious and Spiritual Life; the Center for Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Social Change (IDEAS); the Center for LGBT Education, Outreach & Services; the Department of Athletics; the Office of Public Safety and Emergency Management; the Women's Mentoring Network; and the psychology and politics departments in the School of Humanities and Sciences.

Following each film, an IC faculty or staff member facilitated a guided discussion with attendees, where they discussed the themes brought up in the films.

“We want students to be thinking about themselves as global citizens. We want them to be plugged into the plight of others and to have empathy across boundaries.”

Omega Hollies, assistant director of the Center of IDEAS

The final episode in the series, “Rising Power,” examined the work of Freedom Inc., a non-profit based in Madison, WI, that addresses the root causes of injustices by helping low- to no-income communities of color. The post-screening discussion, facilitated by Erienne Roberts, associate director of athletics and senior woman administrator, and RahK Lash, director of the Center for Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Social Change (IDEAS) focused on achieving collective liberation by supporting society’s most oppressed groups in the human rights movement.

Elebiary believed that the discussions provided a space outside of a conventional classroom where the attendees could reflect on gender injustice conveyed throughout series. She also brought attention to parallels between the five featured countries, all of which demonstrated strategies of local activism.

“Four of the five episodes were from different countries, but we learned a lot about how they were each able to successfully organize and build a movement to create positive change,” she said.

Two days after the final film was shown, Roberts; Elyse Nepa, Clery Act and crime prevention coordinator in the Office of Public Safety and Emergency Management; and Omega Hollies, assistant director of the Center of IDEAS, hosted a wrap-up discussion aimed at tying the episodes together by addressing themes embedded throughout the series including safety in activism, white supremacy, and the intersectionality of social movements.

They were joined by Erin Williams, Program Director of Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights at Global Fund for Women, who led a conversation about philanthropy for gender justice.

Jacqueline Laferriere ’22 appreciated the opportunity to learn more about the growing demand for grassroots funding from an expert.

“Hearing from someone involved in the films was a very cool experience,” she said.

Hollies added that the event series embodies the values stated in the college’s strategic plan.

“We want students to be thinking about themselves as global citizens,” she said. “We want them to be plugged into the plight of others and to have empathy across boundaries.”

“I felt a bit of hope throughout the series that there is structural transformation occurring through these conversations.”

Zahra Sandhu ’21

After seeing the films, attendees said they had already begun seeing how change could be achieved through collective action, both globally and locally.

“I felt a bit of hope throughout the series that there is structural transformation occurring through these conversations,” said Zahra Sandhu ’21.

Perhaps more importantly however, the impact of the films has spurned the desire for action.

“I need to be working with my community here to better the situation for marginalized groups,” Seidy Bobadilla ’22 said. “Watching these films also motivated me to try to help more in other areas around the world as opposed to just in the United States.”