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Community-Based Documentaries Premiere in Trenton

After several months of planning, filming and editing, students in Susan Ryan’s documentary class, COM 370: Community Documentary, screened the films that resulted from their passion for documentary filmmaking on Friday, May 13, at South Rio restaurant in Trenton, N.J.  The Communication Studies Department, Bonner Center for Community Engaged Learning and Research, and the Capital City Book Fair helped make the film screening possible. In addition to the students, in attendance were the films’ subjects, who saw their own stories through the eyes of the filmmakers.

Students spent their spring semester piecing together diverse films that documented how organizations in Trenton are helping the community.  The Art and Soul of Trenton, created in Dr. Ryan’s 2015 documentary production class, was screened first since its focus, Both Hands, highlights the interaction of community with the arts. As seen in the film, Bentrice Jusu and her organization Both Hands, works to help young A-Team and crewpeople express themselves through various media, including poetry and film. Next to be screened was Where Art is Trying to Breathe, a film that gives a behind-the-scenes look into Trenton Area Soup Kitchen’s (TASK) A-Team, who grace Trenton with their creativity and artistic talent.  Several of the artists from the A-team were pleased to see their artwork profiled in the documentary.

Following the A-team was Believe to Achieve, a film about how the Center for Child and Family Achievement (CCFA) fosters the parent and child relationship in an effort to close the achievement gap. The night continued with the screening of Creating Change that is about Empowering Men to Create Change (E=MC2). Sponsored by group of studentsthe Hyacinth AIDS Foundation of New Jersey, this organization aims to spread the word about HIV and AIDS support and prevention. The screening ended with Behind the Gloves, the story of how the boxers of Ike’s Gym, a Trenton institution,  improve themselves and their city through boxing.

For more information contact Susan Ryan   ryan@tcnj.edu

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