Edmonds’ Diversity Commission this week announced the launch of its Diversity Film Series. The first showing in the series will preview at noon on Saturday, Oct. 21 at the Edmonds Theater, 415 Main St.
The series will feature free screenings of poignant, insightful and topical films on themes related to diversity, inclusion and equity at noon the third Saturday of each month from Oct. 21 to April 21 (except December).
The first movie of the series is Somewhere Between, a chronicle of the lives of four Chinese girls adopted by American families and their coming-of-age struggles as they find themselves “somewhere between” typical American teenagers and natives of a far-off land that is both familiar, yet alien to them.
Swim Team, the story of a competitive boys swim team formed to recruit diverse teens on the autism spectrum who otherwise are shunned by conventional swim clubs is the selection for November. Swim Team chronicles the team’s efforts to achieve both inclusion and independence.
In January the series will feature A Stray, the story of a teenage Somali refugee who struggles to make his way in America while still rooted in the traditional ways of his family, society and religion. He befriends a stray dog, and the situations that arise challenge his traditional sensibilities.
For February, Off and Running, has been selected. This film portrays the life of an African-American teenage girl named Avery, who lives in Brooklyn. Adopted into a multiracial family, the matriarchs of whom are a Jewish lesbian couple, Avery must come to terms with her curiosity about her birth mother and also her place in society.
The March screening will feature Mi Vida Dentro (My Life Inside), the story of a controversial court case in Texas in which a young Mexican undocumented immigrant, Rosa, taken in by a family to care for their baby, is falsely accused of murder after the child dies suddenly. The film chronicles the harrowing trial, the unjust verdict and Rosa’s time in jail.
The final film in the inaugural series, scheduled for Saturday, April 21, is Out in America, featuring stories of two prominent members of the (American) LGBT community.
“We are thrilled to be able to present to the community Edmonds’ first-ever Diversity Film Series starting this Fall,” stated Diversity Commission Co-Chair Ed Dorame. “We feel the series represents an impressive line-up of films that touch upon issues related to many of the struggles and triumphs of diverse people in our society. We look forward to a full house at each screening in the Edmonds Theater and hope attendees will take away new, thought-provoking perspectives.”
For more information, including a full synopsis of each film and to view trailers, please visit the commission’s official website.
This is amazing!