SUstainable CommuNitY Film Series to kick off Sept. 27

The Syracuse University SUstainable CommuNitY Film Series will begin on Sept. 27 with a striking documentary about the impact on China of its massive industrial revolution, and conclude in mid-November with a peek under the hood of our nation’s highly mechanized food industry.

In all, the series will feature five award-winning documentaries, each addressing a different sustainability challenge. All screenings will begin at 6:15 p.m. in the Noble Room of Hendricks Chapel. A modest meal will be provided to attendees before each film gets under way. Following each movie, two “conversation starters” will facilitate a conversation on the feature’s sustainability implications. Admission is free and open to students, faculty and staff.

“Real-world issues of sustainability are never fully addressed by one perspective or one academic discipline,” says Rick Martin of SU’s Sustainability Division. “We hope this film series will create opportunities for conversations across disciplinary boundaries which will help each of us broaden our perspectives and our understanding.”

Following is the full series schedule:

Sept. 27
“Manufactured Landscapes”
Conversation starters: Steven Brechin, professor of sociology in the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, and Peter Wilcoxen, associate professor of public administration and international affairs and economics in the Maxwell School.

Oct. 4
“Blue Gold”
Conversation starters: David Chandler, professor of practice in the L.C. Smith College of Engineering and Computer Science, and Joseph Heath, general counsel to the Onondaga Nation.

Oct. 18
“Six Degrees Could Change the World”
Conversation starters: Christopher Scholz, professor of earth sciences in The College of Arts and Sciences, and Robert Wilson, associate professor of geography in the Maxwell School.

Nov. 1
“Strange Days on Planet Earth”
Conversation starters: Sarah Pralle, associate professor of political science in the Maxwell School, and William Snyder, professor of environmental science at SUNY Morrisville.

Nov. 15
“Food, Inc.”
Conversation starters: Thomas Perrault, associate professor of geography in the Maxwell School, and J. Richard Welsh, professor of food studies in the David B. Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics.

The series is sponsored by  the SU Sustainability Division and the Lutheran Campus Ministry/STEP Center at Hendricks Chapel. For more information, contact Rick Martin at 315-443-3953 or rjmart01@syr.edu.