Kick off the night with a transformative\, 60-minute interactive listening workshop led by Peoplehood &mdash\;a trai lblazing company dedicated to relational health and meaningful connection. Through guided breathing exercises and dialogue\, you'll gain practical t ools to navigate differences\, build stronger relationships\, and foster d eeper connections. Peoplehood provides a safe and supportive space that em phasizes empathy and understanding&mdash\;not to seek agreement\, but to b ridge divides and find clarity in even the toughest conversations.
\nThe second part of the evening features a screening of Public Defender\, the award-winning documentary that has sparked conversations nationwide. F ollowing the film\, join a thought-provoking panel discussion with the fil mmakers and key participants as they delve into the film&rsquo\;s themes a nd their resonance with today&rsquo\;s pressing challenges.​
\n< p>We invite you to experience the full program\, but space is limited. Ple ase RSVP and let us know which portions you plan to attend so we can accom modate everyone! Register below. \;\nAt a pivotal moment in our nation&rsquo\;s history\, Public Defender\, an award-winning documentary\, examines the fault lin es of American democracy through the lens of Heather Shaner\, a seasoned a nd fiercely compassionate public defender in Washington\, DC.
\nFor over 45 years\, Heather has fought for justice for those who can&rsquo\;t afford a lawyer\, earning the trust of countless clients. But when she&rsq uo\;s tasked with representing January 6th rioters\, her empathy and dedic ation are put to the ultimate test. Despite starkly opposing political bel iefs\, Heather works to restore humanity one relationship at a time\, advo cating for second chances with fairness and compassion. \;Public Defen der uncovers the surprising power of connection and offers a timely\, unfl inching look at how humanity can endure&mdash\;even in the most divided of times.
\nFollowing the film screening\, stay for a thought-provokin g panel discussion featuring the filmmakers\, and the film's participants to further explore the themes of the film and their relevance to today&rsq uo\;s challenges.
\nRichard Schiff is an award winning actor and director and published writer. Awards include an Emmy along with three Emmy nomina tions\; two SAG awards and an Ovation Award and two Backstage Awards for t heater work. He is best known for his role of Toby Ziegler on the acclaime d WEST WING and for Dr. Glassman on the mega hit THE GOOD DOCTOR as well a s BALLERS\, COUNTERPART\, MANHATTAN and dozens of others. He has starred o r appeared in WAKANDA FOREVER\, THE LOST WORLD JURASSIC PARK\, CLEMENCY\, MAN OF STEEL and RAY among more than 50 films. He&rsquo\;s starred on both Broadway and The West End in London among many theater credits. He founde d and was Artistic Director of Manhattan Repertory Theater in New York Cit y. He is active in politics and social causes and is on the board of The C reative Coalition and Counsel for a Liveable World and an active fundraise r for the ACLU and Public Counsel. He has written columns for The Independ ent and Huffington Post and his first published poetry will be out this su mmer.
\nAndrea Kalin is an award-winning filmmaker and founder of Spark Media\, a produc tion company dedicated to programs with a social conscience. Kalin&rsquo\; s storytelling has earned her over 100 awards and honors\, including a Pri metime Emmy\, two Gracies\, a CHRIS Award\, and Golden Globe and WGA nomin ations. Her work has been shown theatrically and at film festivals around the the world including Hot Docs\, Woodstock Film Festival\, and Human Rig hts Watch Film Festival and is distributed by global broadcasters and stre aming platforms such as Smithsonian\, MTV\, HBO\, PBS's WORLD Channel\, Am azon\, Apple TV\, Tubi and Deutsche Welle. Her latest film\, SCATTERING CJ \, premiered at the Camden International Film Festival and aired on PBS in September 2022. She has produced 12 feature documentaries and scores of a dvocacy shorts. Kalin's debut documentary\, PARTNERS OF THE HEART\, aired on PBS's &ldquo\;American Experience\,&rdquo\; won the Erik Barnouw Award for Best History Doc\, and is part of the NEH50\, a list of the most cultu rally significant projects funded by the National Endowment for the Humani ties. Kalin seeks out unexpected\, gripping human stories that shape who w e are and shift how we see our world. Her spirited storytelling inspires a udiences and sparks the imagination.
\nKate Woodsome is an award-winning journalis t and filmmaker weaving the connection between mental health and democracy . While at The Washington Post\, she won the Pulitzer Prize for Public Ser vice with colleagues covering the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol\, pion eered a mental health column and managed a short documentary unit. Woodsom e has been honored with the Ben Bradlee Award for Courage in Journalism\, an Edward R. Murrow Award for her film\, PLEASE RISE\, honors from the Whi te House News Photographers Association and the National Association of Bl ack Journalists. Her film BRING THEM HOME helped change U.S. policy and pu blic opinion around state hostage-taking and screened at the Big Sky Docum entary Film Festival\, the Sarasota Film Festival\, DC/DOX and beyond\, wh ile the DOC NYC premiere and long festival run of FIGHT OR FLIGHT has invi ted audiences to reframe their understanding of trauma and recovery. Now i ndependent\, she recently founded Invisible Threads to explore the ties be tween the health of our minds and body politic in a way that nourishes ind ividual and collective wellbeing. Woodsome pursues this mission through wr iting\, film and public education. Invisible Threads deepens work she has done for two decades &mdash\; from reporting on an authoritarian regime in post-genocide Cambodia\, the decline of democracy in Hong Kong and the 20 21 insurrection.
\nPublic Defender\, Heather Shaner\, is well known withi n the Washington\, DC legal community as the septuagenarian who sports blu e bangs\, eschews suits\, hugs prosecutors\, and babysits for her clients. But being asked to defend Americans who engaged in acts of insurrection f orced her to reckon with her own anger and hurt over what had happened in her hometown on January 6\, 2021. Heather is passionate about prompting he r clients&rsquo\; curiosity and deepening their understanding of history\, not just to influence a judge's verdict but to open their hearts and mind s long after their trials and sentences.
\nConnor (they/them) is a leading Guide and faci litator for both individuals and teams to accomplish more honest and empat hetic conversations at home\, at work and beyond. Connor is a former tenur ed dancer with American Ballet Theatre with a background in creative marke ting and communications and a passion for equity and inclusion in conversa tion. Connor has facilitated Gathers for teams at Microsoft\, JPMorgan\, E sther Perel Global Media\, Silicon Valley Bank\, Gold House\, Mountainfilm \, Bumble For Friends\, &\; more.
\nEthan Oser is a nimble filmmaker with a decad e of experience telling perspective-shifting stories. With Spark Media sin ce 2013\, he's helped bring many of the company's award-winning documentar y films to life. Most recently\, he was the director of photography\, asso ciate producer\, and assistant editor on SCATTERING CJ. He was also an ass istant director of photography and editor on FIRST LADY OF THE REVOLUTION and provided photography and assistant editing on RED LINES. Oser&rsquo\;s work has screened at international festivals and been broadcast and strea med worldwide on PBS\, HBO\, Amazon\, Apple TV\, National Geographic\, Tub i and FreeSpeech TV. Oser has a BA in Journalism and Mass Communications f rom George Washington University and combines fact-checking with empathy t o embody compassion and integrity in his work.
\nA whip-smart Pennsylvanian with a knack for politicking\, Annie Howell's world fell apart when she j oined the Capitol attack. She lost her job and her home after serving 60 d ays in jail for her role in the insurrection. She divides her time between a motel room and the library\, fighting for custody of her son and trying to rebuild her life. In the months leading up to January 6\, Annie says s he was driven by fear. Between right-wing media\, friends and family\, she was convinced that America was becoming a socialist dystopia. Emerging fr om the political trance is painful but rewarding as Annie sheds old relati onships and makes new ones\, including with herself.
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