Lekha Singh, the film’s co-director and producer, will lead a conversation after the screening of Beyond Right & Wrong: Stories of Forgiveness and Justice on Wednesday.
A documentary that explores the process of forgiveness and healing in some of the world’s most devastating conflicts will be shown this week.
Beyond Right & Wrong: Stories of Forgiveness and Justice will be shown at 7 p.m. Wednesday in the Edith O’Donnell Arts and Technology Building lecture hall. The screening is sponsored by the School of Arts and Humanities and the UT Dallas Asia Center,
In the documentary, individuals come face to face with the very people who took their loved ones away forever. Stories include the conflict in Northern Ireland, Israel and Palestine’s dispute over Jerusalem, and genocide in Rwanda. What remains singular among these terrible incidents is not the justice served or severity of the atrocities, but rather the level of dialogue and discourse reached between both perpetrators and victims.
“The profound, award-winning documentary captures the devastating impact of war and provides viewing audiences with greater insight into human aspects of forgiveness, reconciliation and healing. The documentary speaks to human resilience,” said Monique Wedderburn, director of the Asia Center. “My hope is that the film primarily increases students’ global awareness of the devastating impact of conflict and then engages students to examine the role they play in pursuing forgiveness and peace in their personal relationships and in their communities.”
Beyond Right & Wrong asks how societies recover from devastating conflict, and examines whether survivors can live — converse, smile and even laugh — beside someone who was once their enemy. The film examines how victims and perpetrators work together to rebuild their lives, revealing the intersections of justice and forgiveness as survivors heal from tragedy.
The screening will be followed by a special conversation with Lekha Singh, the film’s co-director and producer. She will also announce plans for a UT Dallas scholarship inspired by the film.
Singh’s work offers insight into the human condition around the world. She has contributed photographs to National Geographic’s The Other Side of War: Women’s Stories of Survival and Hope, and her photography books include Call to Love: In the Rose Garden with Rumi, Bhutan and Pop-Up Pianos. She also was the executive producer of the documentaries Square and Midway. Singh made her directorial debut with Beyond Right & Wrong.
The film screening is free and open to the public, but those attending are encouraged to RSVP.