DIVIDED WE FALL

SCREENING AND DIALOGUE GUIDE

Heres what you need to host a film screening and dialogue in your community:

1. DVD of the Film

You can find the film on Amazon or Netflix. You can also purchase the educational version of the film for public screenings at the official website: www.dwf-film.com

2. Movie Postcards
We can mail you 50 movie postcards upon request. These movie postcards contain ordering information on the back. Place movie postcards on the seats of your audience members before the doors open and announce that people can find the film on our website. We hope you will encourage people to share the film with their family and friends. Thank you!

3. Response Cards
You can print out response cards for audience members to share their own stories and reflections after the screening by printing out the template at the end of this guide. After the event, you can type up the responses and post them on the website directly or mail them to us.

4. Guidelines for Your Screening and Dialogue

Please read carefully through these guidelines for your screening and dialogue.

INTRODUCTION TO GUIDE
Divided We Fall (2008) chronicles a college students journey across the U.S. in the aftermath of 9/11, capturing stories of fear and violence against her community. Since its release, the film has inspired deep community dialogues about ways to address racism, religion, hate, and healing in the long-term aftermath of September 11, 2001. More than a decade later, the message of the film is powerful now more than ever. The film promotes change one person at a time through a story that reveals the way fear can hijack our humanity. It offers us inspiration to overcome fear and hate through connecting hearts and minds. The following guidelines are aimed to provide facilitators with tools for deep dialogue. And it inspires other young people to turn fear into creative action. The following guidelines are aimed to equip you with tools for deep dialogue. We designed these guidelines to help facilitators steward personal reflections and discussions that will move people through examining the impact of watching the film and invite everyone to imagine a better world. The overall goal is to build community through each dialogue, and the proposed activities reflect an emphasis on community-building rather than debriefing the content of the film. The following structure and activities for your deep community dialogue are meant to be guides to be applied flexibly. Watch the film beforehand and decide which suggested dialogue activity to use for your dialogue. We recognize each dialogue deserves to have its own life. The best facilitation comes from having experienced leaders who are comfortable and confident in a plan they execute. As such, please think about how you can integrate these suggestions into your own best practices and experiences. The entire program will run between 2 hours and 2 and 1/2 hours. For questions about the logistics of your screening, or to invite the filmmakers to your event, contact Jodi Elliott, tour director, at jodi@dwf-film.com

PREPARING FOR YOUR DIALOGUE: SETTING TONE AND GROUND RULES

At the beginning of your event, introduce any community members or experts in the audience and then set a few ground rules. Please read ideas about setting ground rules in the Appendix of this packet. Each dialogue will have different schedules so facilitators must use judgment about how much time to spend on setting tone and guidelines. Something as simple as lighting a candle and inviting people to be respectful, to listen, and to avoid judging other speakers while the candle is burning can be a short effective way to invite people to be at their best in the dialogue process. Some examples include: Our shared commitment is to learn from each other. Acknowledge and value peoples differences in their backgrounds, values, and life experiences. Trust that people are always doing the best they can. Speak your discomfort. Maintain confidentiality. What other guidelines would you like to add?

CHECK LIST FOR YOUR FILM SCREENING

Before the doors open for your event, please be sure you have tested the sound and picture of the DVD, your volunteers are ready, and you have placed movie postcards and response cards (optional) on the seats of your audience members.

30-45 Minutes Preparation Time Arrange to arrive at the venue at least 30 min before the screening to test sound and picture with the projectionist or organizer. Two Wireless Microphones If the venue is large, arrange one wireless microphone on stage and one for audience members during the discussion. Three or Four Volunteers Blogger Take notes on the discussion by hand or on a laptop; write a reflection piece on the event and email to Jodi Elliott at jodi@dwf-film.com Take photographs at the event; email 2-3 of the best photos to Jodi Elliott at jodi@dwf-film.com. Pass out response cards for people to share their own stories and reflections. These will be posted on our website. You can place these response cards on peoples seats before the doors open. You can also place movie postcards on seats. After the show, collect these response cards, type them up and post on our website or mail them to us directly. Contact Jodi Elliot at jodi@dwf-film.com If mics are necessary, the runner will pass the wireless microphone to audience members during the discussion session.

Photographer

Usher

Runner
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INTRODUCING THE FILM

In your welcome to the audience, you are invited to read this message from the filmmakers Valarie Kaur and Sharat Raju: Welcome! We are humbled and grateful to share our film with you and wish we could thank you in person. The journey to make this film began when a twentyyear-old college student faced a choice in the aftermath of Sept. 11, 2001: to turn away from the confusion and fear outside her bedroom window or to confront the whirlwind and leap into it. She leapt. The stories she found inspired a growing circle of friends to devote their time and talent toward something bigger than any of us. We were all in our twenties, working for free. We lived on chocolate, maxed out credit cards, and somehow raised enough in tiny donations to make Divided We Fall. Our story spread through word-of-mouth and propelled us on an international tour that brought us to tonight. Tonight, you are joining a groundswell of people across the United States in a dialogue about racism and religion, fear and forgiveness, who we are as a nation and who we want to be. We put the film in your hands as a testament to what is possible when people reach deep into hate and violence in order to transform it. May tonight open a space for renewal and healing. May it allow us to honor those who died on Sept. 11 and its ongoing aftermath. And may it inspire you to tell your own untold stories.

DIVIDED WE FALL DIALOGUE #1: SHARED HOPE AND HEALING

Appreciative inquiry is a form of reflection, storytelling, and problem solving that invites people to identify and share peak and positive experiences in their past to help to create imagination, bonds, energy, and connections for change in the future. Activity Invite people to pick a partner, preferably someone he or she doesnt know, then read one of the questions below and give the dyads 5-10 minutes to share a story. 1. Name a moment when you have you been seen as an outsider. How did you respond? Now name a moment when you saw someone as an outsider. How did you respond? 2. What surprised or upset you in the film? What made you the most hopeful?

3. Whose story in the film resonated with you? What would you like to say to them? 4. When have you been at your best in taking some small or big step to stop bias and hate, and what helped you to be effective in taking action? After the dyads, invite volunteers to share their partners' stories and what they learned helped people to take action. As a facilitator, take notes on the themes and summarize them at the end to create a group theory on successful ways to take action. Closing Invite people to share one word or sentence about an insight they will take with them at the end of the event.
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DIVIDED WE FALL DIALOGUE #2: EMBODIED REFLECTION AND INTROSPECTION

This is a reflection process that invites people use all the senses to explore body reactions and sensations to the film. It helps people to be aware of their experience at a deeper level and to reflect on the impact of the film. From gaining insight into the impact of the film on the mind, body, and spirit, people can explore what they learned in a more complete way. It is safer and more productive to alternate reflection about positive reactions and negative reactions. Please read Valaries story about how she used somatic reflection with young people: http://www.valariekaur.com/tubman-middle-school-augusta-ga Activity After the film ends, read the following questions to your audience for individual reflection. Allow a few moments of silence between questions: 1. When did you feeling a visceral identification with something or someone in the film? 2. When did you feel the most hopeful when watching the film? Where in your body did you feel the relief, hope, or some calm? (Invite them to notice what happens in their stomach, chest, and throat.) 3. When did you feel anger or pain when watching the film? What did you feel in your body? (Invite them to notice any changes in sensation in their bodies.) 4. Let yourself remember in your body the tense and relaxed moments and alternate between the two to explore what you learned though this somatic inquiry. 5. What is your body telling you about the way you experienced the film and the issues it presents?
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Now invite people to find a partner to share what they learned about through this somatic inquiry and reflection for 10 to 15 minutes. (Some people may not have any visceral reactions and for the purposes of this discussion, this is okay). Bring the group together and invite people to share with a group. Closing Invite people to share one word or sentence about an insight they will take with them at the end of the event.

DIVIDED WE FALL DIALOGUE #3: DISCOMFORT AND ENGAGEMENT

Discomfort is an important part of life, but we can manage discomfort productively rather than demonizing others. This activity is designed to explore why and how to deal with discomfort. Note to facilitators We recognize that these issues can be sensitive. It is important to encourage people to take risks while also making sure the atmosphere is a safe place. We recommend using some of the discussion guidelines mentioned earlier in these materials, and reemphasizing them before this activity. Opening Discuss the scene in Divided We Fall where Rachel Neumann shares her discomfort seeing turbaned men at a train station shortly after September 11, 2001. Compare with recent discussion on the sensitivities of people who feel uncomfortable with the idea of an Islamic community center a few blocks away from Ground Zero. How do images of turbans or mosques impact our bodies? Where and how do we feel discomfort? You may also choose to tell stories (or elicit stories from the audience) of other more ordinary situations in daily life. They can range from the serious to issues dealing with taste (a song heard at a family members funeral having only sad associations) to the more offbeat (a distaste for a certain chain restaurant because thats where you pulled over once while carsick, even though the restaurant had nothing to do with why you were sick). Framing the Problem Such responses are natural and sometimes useful to protect ourselves (warning earlier humans against a poisonous mushroom they saw someone unluckily eat, for instance). Yet they also are problematic when they harm other people or divide us as a country.
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Activity Invite people, either with a partner or as a whole group, to brainstorm the consequences of acting on our discomfort without examination. Possible answers include: we close ourselves off from different experiences, we lose diversity in our lives, we are governed by our fears, we inconvenience (or even oppress) other people, we unfairly ascribe actions to others, and so forth. Looking for Solutions Invite people, in small groups or as a large group, to brainstorm ways to overcome these feelings. Some possible answers or talking points might include educating ourselves more about the source of the discomfort, challenging assumptions (is the project really a Ground Zero Mosque?), prioritizing values, and practicing empathy. There are two options for the final segment: Option 1: Individual Reflection Invite people to take 5-8 minutes to write confidentially about a source of discomfort in their lives. Do they fear Muslims? Southerners? Gays and lesbians? Conservatives? The undereducated or the rich or the poor? A particular type of ideology? What is the root of this fear? Is the fear having a negative effect on other peoples lives? How could you fight this fear? Close the individual reflection by asking participants to write anonymously, on an index card, what they will do to fight this fear. Then the facilitator can read a selection of the answers, and perhaps map or chart them in categories (suggested categories might include education, dialogue, and personal reflection, though these categories are by no means exclusive or authoritative), in the hope of leaving people with a sense of how they and the people sitting around them can fight fear in their lives and communities.

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Option 2: Facing a Source of Discomfort Invite people to write confidentially, on an index card, a source of discomfort. These cards will be shuffled and shared anonymously by the facilitator, who will lead a discussion about ways to overcome the discomfort in this particular situation. Please note: This activity will likely be sensitive and challenging. Reinforce the norms of risk-taking and assuming the best of each other, while working to ensure that people are always respectful toward each other and other people. Closing Invite people to share one word or sentence about an insight they will take with them at the end of the event.

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DIVIDED WE FALL DIALOGUE #4: DIVING DEEPER INTO THEMES

Watch the film ahead of time and think about some questions that you can raise to discuss these themes in the film. If you are connected with a community member or an expert, work with them ahead of time on questions for the audience and topics for discussion. Activity Choose Dialogue Questions on the DVD Menu and project on the screen after the film ends. Choose one question and explore. Or pursue one of the following suggested topics: Remembrance and Renewal through Storytelling Valaries Life and Journey: Courage and Inspiration Untold Stories and What They Tell Us about Who Constructs History American Identity: Who Counts as American? National Security and Civil Rights Sikh Americans and Religious Pluralism Stereotyping, Profiling, Discrimination, and Hate Violence The Way Forward: Storytelling, Truth-telling, Forgiveness, and Reconciliation

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APPENDIX: GUIDE FOR SETTING GROUND RULES

Whenever you hope to facilitate conversations on multicultural issues, whether preparing for a one-hour workshop or weaving such discussions into a yearlong class, a vital first step is the development of guidelines for participation. These guidelines, often referred to as "ground rules," should provide the community within a workshop or class a frame to ensure open, respectful dialogue, and maximum participation. Generating a List of Ground Rules There are several effective ways to create ground rules. If time is an issue, as it tends to be in short workshops of one to two hours, it may be necessary for you to simply list the ground rules for the group. Be sure to inquire whether the ground rules are agreeable, and mention that if you had more time together, you would have preferred the group to generate the list. A second way to create ground rules is to list those rules you commonly use, then ask for additional ground rules from the participants. When somebody proposes a ground rule, ask the other participants if they agree to it. If most do, add it to the list. The best way to create ground rules, if you have the time, is to allow the participants to generate the entire list. Ask them to think about what they, as individuals, need to ensure a safe environment to discuss difficult and controversial issues. If the participants are having difficulty coming up with ground rules, or if they do not come up with a particular ground rule you feel is important to the success of your facilitation, try to prompt them toward it. If they still do not mention it, you can add it to the list.

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Examples of Widely Used Ground Rules Ground rules should be developed and adapted for every unique context. Appropriate ground rules may depend partially on age, region, social class, and other contextual factors. The following list of common ground rules from multicultural education classes and workshops should serve only as a starting point for your process of creating a similar list suitable to your own situation: 1. Listen actively -- respect others when they are talking. 2. Speak from your own experience instead of generalizing ("I" instead of "they," "we," and "you"). 3. Practice timely attendance. 4. Do not be afraid to respectfully challenge one another by asking questions, but refrain from personal attacks -- focus on ideas. 5. Participate to the fullest of your ability -- community growth depends on the inclusion of every individual voice. 6. Instead of invalidating somebody else's story with your own spin on their experience, share your own story and experience. 7. The goal is not to agree -- it is about hearing and exploring divergent perspectives. 8. Be conscious of body language and nonverbal responses -- they can be as disrespectful as words. It is also important to set a ground rule for how participation will be managed. Do you prefer for participants to raise their hands and be called on, or for people to speak freely? Remember that some people -- especially those who tend to be introverted -- need more time to process thoughts and speak; so the latter option may exclude them from the discussion. Still, the formal process of raising hands to
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be recognized may detract from the collective atmosphere needed to discuss multicultural issues. Strategies and Notes 1. It is very helpful to post the ground rules somewhere visible during the entire course of a class or workshop. Some teachers and facilitators who are with a certain group over an extended period of time will bring the list of ground rules (on news print or some other transportable medium) back to the group for every session or class period. They can then refer back to the list when they sense that participants are failing to sufficiently follow one or more of the items. 2. Challenge the participants on the ground rules early and often. If you do not set a tone of strict adherence to the items early in the process, it may become impossible to enforce them later. 3. If you are using more than two or three ground rules, try focusing on particular items during appropriate activities or discussions. For example, if you are facilitating a discussion in a large group, state before the discussion starts that you would like to focus on active listening. Challenge participants to refrain from any side discussions. The same can be done if you are facilitating an experiential activity, by introducing it as a "silent" activity. 4. You must MODEL these ground rules in your own participation. This is especially true for an item such as #2 (speak from your own experience). Be sure that your own language reflects ownership and responsibility by using as many "I" and "me" statements as possible. 5. If a particular ground rule is routinely broken, bounce it back to the participants. A fruitful discussion can often arise from a close examination of why the participants are not adhering to particular items. 6. Revisit the ground rules occasionally, and if time allows, ask whether the participants would like to add any new items.
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Rethinking Ground Rules If a goal of multicultural education is to challenge current structures and assumptions about educational engagement, we must look closely at all guidelines we use in our classes and workshops, asking ourselves who they support and who, if anybody, they privilege. As such, many multicultural educators and facilitators have begun to rethink the idea of ground rules and ways they are currently implemented. Recent critical analysis of common ground rules have resulted in a collective reconsideration of their role. This is because too often, ground rules that are put in place, whether by an educator/facilitator or by participants, privilege the alreadyprivileged groups in a given dialogue. For example, in a dialogue about race, white participants will often support ground rules meant to keep anger out of the discussion--ground rules focused on a Eurocentric idea of respect. When we consider who is protected by ground rules like "attack the idea, not the person," it becomes apparent that, intentionally or not, they protect the participants representing privileged groups. While I do not advocate dropping ground rules altogether, I do support the idea of seriously studying these issues and the possible ramifications of ground rules that might ultimately support the status quo by providing safety and comfort for those who, for the sake of their own learning, most desperately need to be made to feel uncomfortable. Consider opening this conversation within your class or workshop or among colleagues, and challenge yourself to make sure that the discussions and dialogues you are setting up do not further oppress historically oppressed people. Source: Awareness Activities EdChange Multicultural Pavilion http://www.edchange.org/multicultural/activities/groundrules.html

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DIVIDED TWEF TFALL AMERICANS IN HE A ERMATH

VIEWER RESPONSE

We invite you to share your own stories and your reections on the lm in the space below and/or on the back of this form. The lmmakers will read all comments, and they will be posted on our website along with other viewer responses from across the country. (If you do NOT want your comments posted, please let us know in your response.) PLEASE PRINT CLEARLY.

Demographic information (we use this data to show the diversity of our audiences) Your age:__________ Gender: __________________ Race/ethnicity:________________________________________________ Religious or spiritual afliation (if any):_________________________________________________________________________ Nationality (country or countries of which you are a citizen):______________________________________________________ Would you like to be in touch with the lmmakers? Please write your name and email to join our newsletter:

DIVIDED TWEF TFALL AMERICANS IN HE A ERMATH

VIEWER RESPONSE

We invite you to share your own stories and your reections on the lm in the space below and/or on the back of this form. The lmmakers will read all comments, and they will be posted on our website along with other viewer responses from across the country. (If you do NOT want your comments posted, please let us know in your response.) PLEASE PRINT CLEARLY.

Demographic information (we use this data to show the diversity of our audiences) Your age:__________ Gender: __________________ Race/ethnicity:________________________________________________ Religious or spiritual afliation (if any):_________________________________________________________________________ Nationality (country or countries of which you are a citizen):______________________________________________________ Would you like to be in touch with the lmmakers? Please write your name and email to join our newsletter: