“Resilience: The Biology of Stress & The Science of Hope”, is based off of Adverse Childhood Experiences studies and discusses the link between trauma and the physical and behavioral effects experienced.
The film’s tagline is, “The child may not remember, but the body remembers,” as the documentary focuses on how toxic stress can trigger hormones that wreak havoc on the brains and bodies of children, putting them at greater risk for disease, homelessness, prison time and early death.
“The film documents findings supporting the physical, emotional and mental health effects that these adverse childhood experienced have on an individual throughout their lives,” said Janice White, grant administrator at CitiLookout. “The film also addresses how to identify and recognize how this past trauma, whether economical or environmental, effects individuals throughout their lives and our community as a whole today.”
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The movie is significant because it not only addresses the childhood experience, the effects and how detrimental it is, White said, but also talks about building resilience and how the community can make a difference.
“It’s not asking what is wrong with these children but, instead, asking what has happened to them,” White said.
White said the goal of the screening is to target not only teachers and medical and mental health professional, but also the community at large.
“It is our hope that as a result of viewing this film, individuals will have a desire to be a part of a community collaborative effort to address this issue and also focus on hope and building resilience and change,” White said. “Because the adverse childhood effects do not have to be the individuals destiny.”
The screening for Resilience is open to the public and will take place at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 17, at the John Legend Theater in Springfield.
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