Activism on the Big Screen

Emmy Award winning filmmakers and social activists Dean Hamer and Joe Wilson joined the NYU Shanghai community on February 16 in a conversation about their efforts to promote diversity and equality in gender, sexuality and culture through movie-making.

A former scientist at the National Institutes of Health, Hamer has long been working to promote social justice. Lately, he has turned to media, especially film, as a preferred platform to educate people and broaden their perspectives.

“People often perceive activists as being loud and confrontational, but our experience suggests that movies are an effective tool to reach people’s hearts and minds, and to instigate real changes,” Hamer said.

Last Friday, Hamer and Wilson introduced their documentary masterpiece KUMU HINA -- based on the true story of Hina Wong-Kalu, a transgender woman in Hawaii. It portrays the clashing of  indigenous Pacific Island culture with American culture in modern Hawaii, as well as the confrontation of social conventions in the LGBTQ community.

“How people behave and live their lives is dictated by the dominant culture. Cultural and sexual minority groups are forced to adapt to social norms. Their power struggles are interconnected,” said Wilson.

Citing examples of obstacles they met in screening KUMU HINA around China, Hamer and Wilson expressed concerns on how to create a supportive environment for the country’s LGBTQ population.

Freshman Ma Haitian joined the discussion as an avid supporter of diversity and LGBTQ rights. Last semester, Ma was inspired by Ally Week’s many diversity-themed activities and has been sharing LGBTQ knowledge with family and friends ever since.

“We can take small actions, starting with influencing the people around us with the right notions, in order to make big changes,” Ma said.

Organized by Student Life, Thursday’s discussion was just the tip of the iceberg on various activities scheduled this semester to raise diversity and equality awareness, as well as how to practice allyship.

According to Simone Francis, Senior Global Leadership Fellow at NYU Shanghai, a “Love Your Body” event in March will celebrate body-positive perceptions of beauty. Public space on the 5th floor will also be transformed into a “diversity corner.”