February 2008 Event
Video Presentation: THE COLOR OF FEAR
Directed by Lee Mun Wah
Directed by Lee Mun Wah
February 21, 2008, 7:00 p.m. (doors open at 6:30)
Wise Awakening?s Orca Room, 314 E. Holly St., Bellingham
Wise Awakening?s Orca Room, 314 E. Holly St., Bellingham
"The Pachamama Alliance's Awakening the Dreamer, the BIONS theme for this year, focuses on three concerns enviornmental sustainability, spiritual fulfilment and social justice. This month's video presentation,The Color of Fear, shows how a group of men, dedicated to reaching across racial barriers in an open and honest way, can work through the eons of social injustice that has happened in their lives and histories.
Eight North American men - two African American, two Latinos, two Asian American and two Caucasian were gathered by director Lee Mun Wah for a dialog about the state of race relations in America as seen through their eyes. The exchanges are sometimes dramatic, and put in plain light the pain caused by racism in North America. -F. Guerini
Out of their confrontations and struggles to understand and trust each other emerges an emotional and insightful portrayal into the type of dialogue most of us fear but hope will happen sometime in our lifetime. 1994 & 1997.
It turns out that much of what the group in the film talks about in the context of racism is actually fear. "I come from this real strong belief that anger is not a primary emotion. I think hurt is," Wah says. "When hurt is acknowledged and validated, it turns into anger."
His grass roots approach to ending racism, one person at a time, has never been tried before. Its goal is to change people's core beliefs first, hoping positive actions will follow.
Lee concentrates on using the film for diversity training in the workplace.
A group called World Trust brings friends of friends together in their homes. For many of them, the film acts as a catharsis, especially when they see the film's central character, the white man, transform. "I'm deeply hurt that you would consider my race as the oppressor," he tearfully tells the group in the film.
What the film does is open doors. "I don't think that there is a way to solve racism as such," one home viewer says. "I think all we can do is exactly what we are doing: work heart to heart."
The story of these men and their journey has so far been seen by half a million people. Producers plan to take the story to a worldwide audience.
