Lights, Camera, Civics!

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Movies help us experience and understand each other and the world around us. They educate and enlighten us. And, they can lead to meaningful and much-needed discourse. Lights, Camera, Civics! hopes to be a catalyst for such conversations. Not only is there division in our country and state over a multitude of issues, within our own communities there is a clear lack of connection among people of different ages and viewpoints. For that reason, New Hampshire Humanities has awarded a grant to the NH Institute for Civics Education for film screenings in all ten NH counties to generate multigenerational conversations about law, justice, and civics. Through Lights, Camera, Civics!, a film will be offered each year, chosen to appeal to a range of ages and demographics. Local teams made up of a lawyer, a teacher, and a high school student will lead the discussions.

The film selected for 2018-19 is To Kill A Mockingbird which will be presented in the kick-off event on Sunday, January 27 from 11:00 am - 3:00 pm at the Warren B. Rudman Center for Justice, Leadership, and Public Service at UNH School of Law in Concord. A light lunch will be provided. Discussion facilitators include Patrick Anderson, Colby Sawyer College humanities professor and film expert; Attorney Dina Michael Chaitowitz, former appellate chief of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Boston; and a yet-to-be-selected local high school student. Anderson says: “Having taught college film classes for decades, I can attest to the impact which this powerful art form can have on viewers – how it can serve as a catalyst for meaningful and thought-provoking conversations.”

This event is free and open to the public but pre-registration is required. To register, email Martha Madsen, NH Institute for Civics Education, at mmmadsengr@gmail.com.  Event details