Community Screening of "Me, The Other"
The movie narrates real-life stories of various young people from Michigan who experience ‘othering’ and how this has affected and still shapes their lives.
As each personal story unfolded, we dove deeper into some of the challenges of coping with different types of discrimination and bias, sexism, racism, gender bias, and rejection. At the same time, however, we learned about common humanity, our own feelings, and our reactions to these beautiful stories, together. It was Hillsborough at its finest.
Conversations lasted well past midnight as we discussed the ways in which this film touched our own lives:
- The feeling of being Black and invisible in America when you work with a business colleague everyday and yet, they never 'see you'. (A senior retired Black American who was never seen or recognized out of work)
- The hurt and pain of realizing that high school students who want to become successful are blind to the issues of anything outside their bubble, and couldn't care less as long as they make it. (Prep school student who is frustrated by their world)
- The need for pushing through boundaries because this country will relive every tragedy unless we can learn and make changes. (Participant thinking about the Civil Rights movement and how much didn't change)
High schools that try to shift diversity practices should make a more serious effort to make systemic change, not just tick the boxes. Youth see right through it. (Bi-racial high school student) - What solutions could look like to make a dent into some of these issues, locally, regionally and perhaps even nationally.
Right after the film's credits, director and co-producer Shidan Majidi was able to call in via zoom to answer some questions about the film, most notably how he had found the people who shared their intricate, revealing and meaningful stories on camera. The movie’s level of intimacy seemed to suggest to us much preparation in connecting with them. Surprisingly, Shidan shared with us that these portrayals were shot in just five (5!) days. And that he had found them just by posting an open call at the university to share stories. As he met with them one after the other, their deeply moving stories unfolded in front of him. Somehow, he was able to connect in a way that provided safety.
This, more than anything, seemed to leave a lesson with us all: safety, what does that mean? No judgment, no othering and connecting with a person's heart, not their circumstances, to give people’s noble spirit a chance to breathe. I encourage everyone to see this movie and if you can, host an event with your own friends and neighbors. Barriers will start to melt away and we might have the chance to not feel Me, the Other, but instead: Us, the We.
About Me, The Other
English Feature Documentary (84 minutes) by director and co-producer Shidan Majidi.
Real stories of a diverse characters experiencing prejudice, with the intent to create conversations about what connects us and what keeps us apart. Available on Vimeo-on-demand. More info at www.metheotherfilm.com