At Saturday’s Community Cinema screening of “Pushing the Elephant,” audience members participated in an activity designed to help them envision forgiveness. “Pushing the Elephant” tells the story of Rose Mapendo’s remarkable emergence from violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo as an advocate for the rights of women and the power of forgiveness and reconciliation. Dr. Bethany Haley and Quincee Gideon from Nashville nonprofit eXile International, along with Marie-Aimee Abizera from African Leadership Refugee Ministry, passed out stones prior to the screening, explaining that the stone represents the burden of unforgiveness. Following the panel discussion with Haley, Gideon and Abizera, audience members were encouraged to release their stones in a basket next to a candle that symbolized hope or renewal.
Prior to the screening, Haley, Gideon and Abizera informally led the forgiveness exercise while audience members mingled over refreshments outside the auditorium. Community Cinema coordinator Allison Inman introduced Nashville Public Television’s Joe Pagetta, who promoted the Nashville Film Festival’s upcoming screening of “Fambul Tok,” a documentary about formal forgiveness and reconciliation ceremonies in Sierra Leone. NPT’s president and CEO, Beth Curley, announced a new public media initiative from ITVS and PBS targeting issues affecting girls and women globally. During the panel discussion, Curley also pointed audience members to NPT’s ongoing “Next Door Neighbors” series, which tells the stories of Nashville’s immigrant communities.
The screening was presented by series partners Nashville Public Television, Nashville Public Library, Nashville Film Festival and Hands On Nashville, with special presenting partners eXile International and YWCA Nashville and Middle Tennessee.
Dr. Bethany Haley of eXile International discusses the insiduousness of rape in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Photo by Frank Keesee.
Marie-Aimee Abizera, a survivor of the 1994 genocide in Rwanda, encourages the audience to get to know the immigrants and refugees in their community. Photo by Frank Keesee.
eXile International displayed art made by war-affected children in the DR Congo. Photo by Frank Keesee.
Marie-Aimee Abizera passes out stones to the audience in an exercise on forgiveness. Photo by Frank Keesee.
The broadcast premiere of “Pushing the Elephant” is today (March 29) at 9 p.m. on Independent Lens.
