Free screening of new film on bullying Thursday night in Grand Rapids

Bullying is a serious issue in the US today. Millions of children experience being bullied on a daily basis at school, so much so that over a million will stay home each month in order to avoid being intimidated, harassed or abuse by fellow students.

Directed by Sundance and Emmy Award-winning filmmaker Lee Hirsch, BULLY is a beautifully cinematic, character-driven documentary—at its heart are those with the most at stake and whose stories each represent a different facet of this bullying crisis.

“We hear students talk first-hand about their bullying experiences yet see how often their pain is ignored.” said Lisa Perhamus, Assistant Professor of Education at GVSU.  “I’ve sat with students as they’ve talked about feeling tormented at school and have listened to parents describe feeling helpless about how to protect their children when they send them off to school.  Each child’s experience with bullying is a life story that they bring into the classroom with them every day.  We must learn how to ask children about these stories and really listen to what they have to say.  I hope this film helps each of us become a better listener.”

BULLY tells the remarkable stories of five brave families that will challenge viewers to move from shock and resignation about bullying to action, transforming communities into places where empathy and respect are valued and bullying is unacceptable.  The film confronts bullying’s most tragic outcomes, including the stories of two families who’ve lost children to suicide.   BULLY brings human scale to this startling statistic, offering an intimate, unflinching look at how bullying has touched these families.

Bully

Thursday, April 19

6:30 PM

Celebration Cinema North

Corner of Knapp & East Beltline

This is a free screening, which will be followed by a discussion with local people involved in anti-bullying work.