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Film screening and discussion on mental illness and recovery, Nov. 30

Please join us for an evening of film and storytelling on the topic, “Speak with Vulnerability and Listen with Compassion: How Stories Build Community and Create a Pathway to Healing,” on Monday, Nov. 30 from 5:30-7:30 p.m. in the auditorium at the School of Social Work (Tate-Turner-Kuralt Building, 325 Pittsboro St., Chapel Hill). Food will be provided by Vimala’s Curryblossom Cafe.

The event will include a screening of the animated documentary film, “Bipolar Girl Rules the World and Other Stories,” and a discussion with the filmmaker, Dawn Dreyer, and School of Social Work faculty member Bebe Smith.

For two decades, filmmaker Dawn Dreyer has been writing and sharing her creative work about her life as a teacher, storyteller, documentary artist, activist, and a person living with mental illness. The act of telling her story and listening to the stories of others made it possible to break through her shame about mental illness and experience recovery in a radically different light. In this presentation, Dreyer will speak about the importance of stories at different stages of her life, and tell some of her own, accompanied by illustrations and selections from her animated documentary.
Clinical Assistant Professor Bebe Smith, MSW, is a clinical social worker. She will speak to this topic from her perspective as a clinician, focusing on mental health advocacy and empowerment of people who live with mental illness. She will also facilitate a discussion following the presentation.

This event is free and open to all.