The Anatomy of Hate: A Dialogue to Hope, a documentary about the shared narratives of individual and collective expressions of hate and how humans can overcome them, will screen at York as part of the University’s quest to engage in campus dialogue.
The 90-minute, award-winning film by filmmaker Michael Ramsdell of Under the Hood Productions will screen on Wednesday, Feb. 16, from 5 to 8pm at the Nat Taylor Cinema, 102N Ross Building, Keele campus. The screening is part of the Campus Dialogue on Hate: Hear it for Yourself. Say it for Yourself. event hosted by York’s Standing Committee on Campus Dialogue and the Centre for Human Rights.
Following the screening, a panel of York speakers – political science Professor Jacqueline Krikorian, psychology Professor Richard Lalonde and humanities Professor Sara Horowitz – will discuss the main themes of the film and facilitate dialogue with audience members about the film and how it connects with their own perspectives.
“The importance of showing The Anatomy of Hate film here at York relates to the quest by York to foster respectful dialogue amongst its students, faculty and staff about difficult and challenging issues,” says Noël Badiou, director of the Centre for Human Rights. “Two people on opposite sides of an issue may be at an impasse as to that particular issue, however, there are many other points of common interest that are often ignored, and these could help bridge a gap whereby a reasonable amount of respect could be maintained for the other. The interesting perspective of this film is that it shows the human side of hatred that we all share and tries to explore the how and why.”
The Anatomy of Hate, winner of the best political documentary award at the Philadelphia Independent Film Festival, tries to answer the question of why people hate. In doing so, it examines some of the most venomous ideologies and violent conflicts of the modern age, including the white supremacist movement, Muslim extremism, Palestinian intifada, Israeli settlers and soldiers, and United States forces in Iraq.
Left: Noël Badiou
“From the Centre for Human Rights’ perspective, it shines a light on the fundamental truth that ‘we are all human’. This is all too often forgotten both in the larger conflicts that are shown in the film, and also in our personal day-to-day interactions,” says Badiou.
Gritty, often harsh, first-hand footage is interspersed throughout the film with thought-provoking interviews with leading sociological, psychological and neurological experts, along with tales of redemption told by former ‘haters’ to show both the emotional and biological mechanisms which make all people susceptible to acts and ideologies of hate.
The film, however, also demonstrates how these very deep human traits make everyone equally capable of overcoming them, and that’s where hope comes in.
“We are hoping that the film will provide a tool of dialogue for our community,” says Badiou. “One that helps us get beyond any immediate conflict and see the opposing side as a fellow community member deserving of our respect that happens to hold an opposing viewpoint on a particular issue; and remembering that we are all part of the same University community. In this regard, we must all do our part in ensuring a safe, respectful and inclusive learning, teaching and working environment.”
For more information, visit the Campus Dialogue on Hate website.