Santa Monica College (SMC) unveils the Fall 2020 Green Screen Series, an informative series of free film screenings and discussions hosted by SMC film professor Sheila Laffey as an extension to her course, Green Screen: Films on the Environment and Transformation.
All presentations in the series are free and will be held online. Pre-registration is required to attend, and early registration is highly recommended. A link to pre-register is available in the Green Screen Series listings on the SMC Events calendar at smc.edu/calendar.
The Green Screen Series is sponsored by SMC Global Citizenship.
The Fall 2020 Green Screen Series lineup is:
• Monday, September 21 at 3 p.m. – “The River and the Wall: Screening and Talk with Green Screen Series Host Sheila Laffey.” Director Ben Masters recruits an ornithologist, a river guide, a conservationist, and a NatGeo explorer to join him on a two-and-a-half-month, 1,200-mile U.S.-Mexico border journey along the Rio Grande by canoe, horse, and mountain bike, to explore how a border wall can affect wildlife, immigration, landowners, and public lands. The film features stunning footage that reveals unknown ecosystems and wildlife threatened by the wall.
• Monday, October 12 at 3 p.m. – “Love Thy Nature: Film Screening and Talk with Director and Nature Therapy Guide Sylvie Rokab.” Narrated by Liam Neeson as Sapiens and winner of 27 awards, Love Thy Nature explores how humans have lost touch with the natural world, and takes us on a journey to discover how a connection to nature is key to our personal health and that of our planet.
• Monday, November 2 at 3 p.m. – “Hawai’i Eco Stories: We All Need the Forest and In the Middle of the Sea: Screenings and Talk with Producer Sheila Laffey and Cathi Miller, Professor of Early Childhood Education on Nature-Based Learning.” Two short films produced for use in Hawaii schools will be shown. We All Need the Forest is the story of a boy who meets the Spirit of the Forest and discovers ancient principles that help heal his ailing grandfather. In the Middle of the Sea tells the tale of two youngsters taken on a magical journey on a Hawaiian mountain, where they discover why Hawaii harbors such a rich diversity of plants and animals.
• Monday, November 23 at 3 p.m. – “The Condor & the Eagle: Screening and Talk with Green Screen Series Host Sheila Laffey.” The Condor & the Eagle follows four Indigenous leaders on a transcontinental journey to unite the peoples of North and South America and deepen the meaning of “climate justice.” Their path from the Canadian plains to the heart of the Amazon takes them on an adventure that will forever change their connection to Earth and one another.
All programs are subject to change without notice, and new events may be added to the series. Up-to-date details are posted at smc.edu/calendar and available by calling 310-434-4100.
Submitted by Grace Smith
