UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Penn State University Libraries will host a Global Health Film Festival between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 23, in an event aimed to communicate stories, inspire, and encourage action to redress inequities in health.
The festival will feature four films shown throughout the day in Foster Auditorium, 102 Paterno Library on the University Park campus, each being followed by a discussant guest speaker to encourage thoughtful discussion about global health issues. Light refreshments will be offered throughout the day in Mann Assembly Room, 103 Paterno Library.
All films and related events are free and open to the public, and are co-sponsored by Pan Institution Network for Global Health; Penn State Global Health Minor; Penn State Hershey MPH Program; 2iE, Penn State Engagement Partnership; and Penn State University Libraries.
The Feb. 23 complete film schedule is as follows:
10-11 a.m. — "Donka: X-Ray of an African Hospital" (1997).
Set in the largest public hospital in Guinea, "Donka" shows, in vivid terms, the limits of Western medicine in territories that can ill afford such costly advances. Film length: 59 minutes.
Sponsored by 2iE, Penn State Engagement Partnership.
Discussant: Nicole Webster, associate professor of Youth and International Development, and codirector of the 2iE-Penn State Centre for Collaborative Engagement in Burkina Faso, West Africa, Department of Agricultural Economics, Sociology, and Education
11:30 a.m.-12:20 p.m. — "Dead Mums Don't Cry" (2006)
"Dead Mums Don’t Cry" documents one woman’s remarkable struggle to stop mothers in her country from dying. She’s Grace Kodindo — an obstetrician in poverty-stricken central African Chad. Film length: 49 minutes.
Sponsored by: Penn State Hershey Master of Public Health (MPH) Program.
Discussant: Kristin K. Sznajder, MPH assistant professor, associate director of International Initiatives, Department of Public Health Sciences, Penn State College of Medicine
12:45-2 p.m. — "Welcome to Refugeestan" (2017)
In an era in which refugees dominate headlines, "Welcome to Refugeestan" is an essential exploration of both the refugee experience and the failures of a system that can keep people trapped and stateless for decades. Film length: 72 minutes.
Sponsored by: Penn State Global Health Minor
Discussants: Shakila Shah, Refugee Health Promotion coordinator, Refugee Resettlement Program; and Charlotte Fry, State Refugee coordinator, Refugee Unit Department of Human Services, Office of Income Maintenance, Bureau of Employment Programs
2:30-4:45 p.m. — "The Painted Veil" (2006)
A British medical doctor fights a cholera epidemic in a small Chinese village, while being trapped at home in a loveless marriage to an unfaithful wife. Film length: 125 minutes.
Sponsored by: Pan Institution Network for Global Health (PINGH)
Discussant: Kathlene Baldanza, assistant professor of history and Asian studies
If individuals anticipate needing accommodations or have questions about the physical access provided, contact Mark Mattson at 814-863-2480 or mam1196@psu.edu in advance.