Films of a different view

The Center for Ethics and Social Responsibility and the department of telecommunication and film will host the second annual Documenting Justice Film Screening on Tuesday at 7 p.m. in the Bama Theatre in downtown Tuscaloosa. Admission is free and open to the public.

The event is the culmination of a yearlong interdisciplinary course that has given 12 non-film students, both graduates and undergraduates, the chance to produce a documentary focusing on different aspects of justice and injustice in Alabama.

Stephen Black, director of the UA Center for Ethics and Social Responsibility, said ethical citizenship requires a strong sense of both empathy and compassion.

"Developing such qualities requires the ability to imagine what others see, feel and experience," he said.

Topics of the films to be screened include the repatriating of five American veterans from the combat zone to stateside; the Tuscaloosa City Schools' rezoning decisions and their impact on students, parents and communities both historically and recently; legendary blues musician Willie King in illustration of fostering communities through tradition; a portrait of motherhood behind bars and the literacy program that helps inmate mothers connect with their children; the success and turnaround story of the low-performing, impoverished E.D. Nixon Elementary School in Montgomery; and an analysis of the impact of race on the identity of Southern communities through the case study and historical portrait of Cullman.

According to an official press release, the experimental filmmaking endeavored to document and analyze the cultural and social experience, and to communicate issues of concern relevant within the state.

"I've never been part of creating a documentary and I thought it would be a great way to enhance my experience at the University," said Elizabeth Jones, a sophomore majoring in economics. "I also wanted to take a different course that I wasn't used to, so I could learn about film and justice issues."

Jones partnered with classmate Dick Powers on their project, "Searching for Normal," a documentary highlighting the lives of five Alabama veterans and the impact of life after combat. Powers brings a personal perspective to the film, as he was a captain in the army. Once they began, Jones said, she was opened up to a new perspective on war veterans.

"There were so many emotional struggles they went through that I never thought of," Jones said.

Using the Veterans Memorial Hospital as a resource, the five Alabama veterans' stories were captured through the lens.

"[There's a] reassurance that you have once you come back home, but the reality of getting back into the normal routine of life isn't that easy," Jones said.

The screening promises later incorporation of an international flavor, as well. In addition to the presenting student, the course provided six fall semester students the opportunity to study abroad for the spring and summer semesters and take their fall semester learning to develop a film based on their time abroad.

"The international students will present their documentaries in December," said Allison Stagg, Research Project Coordinator for CESR.

Each film lasts ten minutes, condensing all students' work into a limited time span. Some of the class' participants had nothing but positive things to say about the experience.

"This class has challenged my work ethic for the better. It's also helped me learn about storytelling," Jones said. "Working on this project has surpassed everything I thought about the course once I started. I knew the end project would be a film, but I didn't know it would be like this."