Belonging in the USA: Stories from our Neighbors

An award-winning series of documentaries that uplift, inspire, and connect us to what is human within us all through the life stories of courageous storytellers .  We hope to inspire a new vision for America, where interdependence, revolutionary listening and radical empathy are what define us.  

Filmed throughout the United States, the Belonging Series features people with diverse backgrounds and experiences, sharing inspiring personal stories that remind us of our shared humanity and our capacity for self-reflection and revelation.

The first film in the series, "The Story of Michael D. McCarty" follows Michael as he evolves from aspiring scientist to Black Panther Party member, from FBI target to soldier, from drug addict to health nut.   The twists and turns of Michael’s life will fill you with hope, laughter and a living example of resilience.  Blending interviews with stop motion animation and archival footage, Michael’s story reminds us how we can grow through the challenges life throws our way.  

This multiple-award-winning film was the official selection at the 2019 Pan African Film Festival, San Francisco Black Film Festival, the Awareness Film Festival, the Baltimore Black Film Festival, and won "Best Documentary" at the Borderscene Film Festival in New Mexico.  

We are currently nearing the end of post-production on the 2nd film in the series, "The Story of Alicia & Antonio" about poet, political activist, and professor Alicia Partnoy and her filmmaker, activist husband Antonio Leiva both political refugees forced into exile after being imprisoned and tortured for their social justice work during the Argentine genocide of the 1970s.  Their story is one of the triumph of the human spirit over circumstances, love over hate, and joy over oppression.

We are in production on the third film in the series, "The Story of the Tsuchiya Family" which traces the legacy of the Japanese incarceration during WWII.
 
We are grateful to all our donors and continue to fundraise for production, film festivals, outreach and community engagement for all three films in the series. 

Our national screening events bring diverse audiences together to explore our hopes, struggles, and create a new vision for our world that we can build together.

Whether you can contribute $25 or $1000 or $25,000, you become part of our community bringing more dialogue, humanity, and understanding to the world. Thank you so much for your support!