|  | Film Newsletter and Updates: May 16, 2024 | | From Shame towards Self-Acceptance
May is Mental Health Awareness Month. It also happens to mark one year since unseen’s World Premiere. For this month’s newsletter, our dear Pedro offered some reflections about the impact our film has had on him. Below is an excerpt:
I was afraid and ashamed of being undocumented… When Set initially approached me about unseen, I honestly didn't know what I was getting myself into. If I had known the impact it would have, I probably would have declined because shame likes to live in darkness… As the project took shape, I realized that participating in unseen meant exposing my vulnerability. Vulnerability was a foreign concept to me, something I saw as a weakness that would only lead to more hurt. I never imagined that vulnerability could be the antidote to shame. However, as I had more intimate conversations with Set, I discovered that the more I talked about my issues in a safe and judgment-free environment, the less shame I felt.
unseen unexpectedly brought me face-to-face with my biggest challenge… Rather than operating from a place of shame, I now try to act from a place of love and self-acceptance. unseen has definitely been a roller coaster for me, but I’m so glad that I jump in. unseen has been a crucial part of my healing process. unseen has not only helped me to confront my inner demons, but also has allowed me to meet beautiful people. Thank you for being part of this journey. – Read Pedro’s full essay here.
| |  | Special Happenings
Join us on Thu, May 23, at 4:00pm PT / 7pm ET for Between the Lines: A Poetry Reading and Performance for unseen featuring poets Yosimar Reyes, Maria Palacios, Ana Portnoy, singer-songwriter Julie Yeeun Kim, along with Pedro and Set.
As the aesthetics of unseen is inspired by poetry, this virtual event will explore our film through the lens of poetry and how people living at the intersections of immigration, disability, and mental health often experience a liminal existence - inhabit the space between the lines. The event line-up includes performances by undocumented and disabled artists; a conversation among them and the film’s protagonist, Pedro, about issues relating to the film and their own work and experiences; and a closing writing prompt for audience members to take home. Make sure to RSVP where you can also inform us about any access needs we could support with. | | | Where to Watch
Catch unseen streaming on PBS before it goes out on June 16. Tell your friends and community who have yet to watch. As we celebrate Immigrant Heritage and Pride Month in June, you can also join us for these upcoming in-person screenings from the Pacific to the Atlantic (more to be announced): National Conference on Race and Ethnicity: Thu, May 30, Honolulu, Hawai’i, in partnership with the Asian American Documentary Network (A-DOC) Houston Asian American & Pacific Islander Film Festival: Sat, Jun 8, at DoubleTree by Hilton, 10609 Westpark Dr, Houston, TX 77042 Bentonville Film Festival: Arkansas Premiere. Thu, Jun 13, at Skylight Cinema 4 - 350 Southwest A St. National Association of Social Workers Film Festival: Thu, Jun 20, at the NASW National Conference in Washington D.C.
We’re also grateful to have received the following recognitions:
REMINDER: Organizations that serve the undocumented and disability communities can host a screening of unseen free of charge by going to our website. Thank you to our partners at GOOD DOCS and the Ford Foundation for making this possible!
|  | The Roundup“Set Hernandez offers a case study in how a single filmmaker can be served by a host of organizations over the course of their career. The organizations that supported Hernandez speak to various intersectional identities so the filmmaker can show up as their authentic self.” – Color Congress’s pathbreaking report, “The People of Color Documentary Ecosystem: Engines for a New American Narrative,” features how unseen was made possible through a nurturing network of BIPOC film organizations (pictured above).
“The documentary unseen is a rare glimpse into a world entirely unknown to most people… Offering advocacy and interest for those making a difference like Pedro, unseen is a unique insight into allowing those who are disabled to follow their dreams and desires, especially as individuals who often give back more… However, what is most important about unseen is that it should be seen.” – Sabina Dana Plasse, Film Threat
“It’s true that films portraying underrepresented communities are often created by people who are not of these underrepresented communities. Hernandez says they are most proud of the film and their team for authentically reflecting Pedro’s lived experiences, which were contributed by people under similar circumstances, helping their healing journeys as well.” – Marisa Kalil-Barrino, 1202 Magazine
|  | Team Hype
Pedro, the superstar of unseen, is the recipient of the 2024 International Rhoda G. Sarnat Award by the National Association of Social Workers. This award is given to an individual, group, or organization that has significantly advanced the public image of professional social work and comes with a cash prize of $3,000. Please join us in congratulating Pedro!
Conchita Hernandez Legorreta, our impact producer, received the Blind Educator of the Year Award by the National Organization of Blind Educators, given to “a blind educator who has demonstrated exceptional teaching abilities, contributed significantly to community service, and shown an unwavering commitment to the principles of the National Federation of the Blind.”
Music and sound design by Jacob Bloomfield-Misrach, our supervising sound editor, was featured at this year’s SFMoma Art Bash through Notations - Solo to Symphony, an immersive audio-visual installation that presents “images of the natural world, where positive and negative are switched along the color spectrum.”
| | | | | | Made possible with support from | | | | | | | In partnership with | | | Accessibility partners | | | | |
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