Middlebury, Vt. – On Thursday May 1, at 6:30 p.m. Vermont filmmaker Jeff Farber will present the Addison County premiere screening of the documentary film Living On The Fault Line, Where Race And Family Meet. The talk, free and open to the public, will take place in Twilight Hall Auditorium. The evening is co-hosted by a local partnership of United Way of Addison County, Middlebury College’s Alliance for Civic Engagement, and PACT (People of Addison County Together).
According to filmmaker Jeff Farber, “The evening’s focus will be on ways to make the region a more welcoming, nurturing and understanding place for its children, students and citizens of color and is planned to be a precursor for other such conversations and dialogues in hopes that they become a regular part of the community’s on-going business.”
“The people of Addison County are both engaged and compassionate,” said Kate McGowan, Co-director of United Way of Addison County. “We are also viewed as predominately white, and because of this, matters of race can be overlooked and neglected. We can’t continue to ignore the issues. It is our responsibility as an organization and as members of the community to convene diverse groups and help start a meaningful conversation.”
Living On The Fault Line, Where Race And Family Meet (www.onthefaultline.com) has been hailed as “an excellent place to begin examining the issues of race and white privilege” and “a compelling investigation of an important topic”. This important film explores the intersection where family love meets racial injustice in the experience of transracial families created through adoption. An honest and open-hearted look at race in America the film profiles nine Vermont transracial families, revealing the complex and emotional story of institutional inequities and racial stereotyping intruding into the haven of family and the community beyond.
Following the film the audience will be invited to participate in a free ranging community discussion facilitated by a panel with both local and state-wide personalities. These include Robert Appel, Executive Director of the Vermont Human Rights Commission, Alice Siegriest, Director of Camp For Me and a Social Worker with Vermont Children’s Aid Society, and Arlinda Wickland, and Sue Schmidt both who are parents and active members of the Middlebury community.
For more information contact Kate McGowan, United Way of Addison County 388-7189. About Jeff Farber
Producer, director and cinematographer, Jeff Farber has been an award-winning independent filmmaker for over 25 years. His career began in Philadelphia, where he was a founding member of New Liberty Productions (1980-86), a multi-racial film collective. His previous works include The Valley Green; Brother Bread, Sister Puppet; Beyond 88 Keys: The Music of Michael Arnowitt; and Living the Autism Maze. Living on the Fault Line, Where Race and Family Meet is Mr. Farber’s latest and most ambitious project. Learn more at www.onthefaultline.com.