NEWS & EVENTS
August 15, 2022
First Prize for Best Feature Documentary @flickers.riiff !!!
We are thrilled to announce that Being Michelle was awarded First Prize for Best Feature Documentary @flickers.riiff !!! We’d like to thank everyone at Rhode Island International Film Festival for making this possible! !!! This award goes to Michelle and the amazing team behind this important film! Thank you to all of our supporters!! #RightToCommunication #DisabilityJustice
August 4-6, 2022
WUFT News Interview
Thank you to Katie Hyson at WUFT News Report for America NPR PBS for taking the time to speak with members from the Being Michelle team about this important film!
#DisabilityJustice #RightToCommunication #DeafInPrison #BeingMichelle
August 4-6, 2022
American Psychological Association 2022
Being Michelle Advisor Deb Guthmann-Ternus presented at the American Psychological Association Conference yesterday in Minneapolis. People in the audience were very responsive to the topic indicating feelings of anger and wanting to do something about the inequities they saw. Keep up the powerful work @guthmanndeb @gabelomas@damara_paris !!! @officialapastyle
#DisabilityJustice #RightToCommunication
LIVE PANEL DISCUSSION: April 4th 12pm Eastern
The American Deafness and Rehabilitation Association (ADARA) is a national organization that brings together professionals from vocational rehabilitation, mental health, chemical health, education, interpreting, and related fields to share best practices in working with individuals who are Deaf, Hard of Hearing, and DeafBlind to address policy and program concerns, and to network.
The ADARA conference is going on this week, in Albuquerque, New Mexico and as part of that conference, Being Michelle Advisors Deb Guthmann, Gabe Lomas and Damara Paris did a presentation on a book they edited which focused on Criminal Justice within the Deaf Community and also highlighted the documentary Being Michelle.
During the presentation, film clips were used from Being Michelle and the addition of the film clips put a much needed focus on a population many don't know exist. The audience noted that the video clips also raised awareness and concern that there are people like Michelle who are interacting regularly with the criminal justice system which is not able to address the needs of deaf individuals.
The personal connection of what Michelle has experienced raised much needed awareness for all participants. As a result, the professionals in the session want to start a social media facebook group to continue discussion of issues raised during the presentation.
@ADARA @guthmanndeb @damara_paris @gabelomas #BeingMichelle #RightToCommunication #DisabilityJustice #DeafInPrison #DisabledInPrison #ArtTherapy #TraumaRecovery #TellYourStory #collaboration #ClevelandInternationalFilmFestival #BigSkyDocumentaryFilmFestival #SignedByStories @nad1880 @cilgainesville @cil_orlando
Big Sky Documentary Film Festival
Colter Nuanez, from our local radio partner, @Trail103.3, sat down with the film’s director, Atin Mehra, and two producers, Mae Thornton Mehra and Harold Foxx. Mr. Foxx is deaf; interpreting for him is Mary Morrison.
Here’s the film description:
Michelle is a deaf autistic woman who survived incarceration under unimaginable circumstances in a system that refused to accommodate her needs. Outside of prison, Michelle is doing the difficult work of telling the story of her traumatic childhood and her adverse experiences in the criminal justice system.
Please take a listen. It’s a wonderful conversation on an extremely tough subject to address; the conditions and treatment endured by Michelle is matched in power only by the manner in which she works to undo the damage. The fact that this is ultimately a redemptive story is a testament to the sheer wonder of human capacity.
And we hope to see you Saturday night at the Wilma!
Big Sky Film Festival 2022, In Missoula, MT
We are so proud to have shared this film with the @bigskydocfest audience. Thank you for being with us for this important story.
It takes all of us to make change, please sign up for our newsletter to become more informed and to help us spread the word. beingmichelle.com #DeafAwareness #CriminalJusticeReform #BeingMichelle