Many universities and non-profits have arranged screenings of “The Valley”. These have yielded thought provoking discussions which have benefited students and others who may be suffering from anxiety or depression. Questions such as “why is anxiety and depression on the rise?”, “what are the warning signs?”, “how are our priorities contributing to this problem?”, “how does being an immigrant affect us?” and others are often discussed.
Once a screening agreement has been reached, we provide a discussion guide. The director can travel to the screening if costs can be covered and schedule permits.
After one screening, Arjun Gupta a student of Northeastern University in Boston writes:
“We had around 25-30 students show up as well as the faculty members that we were coordinating with, and everyone had a really positive reaction to the movie! There were many compliments both for the cinematography and directing work as well as the message that the movie was conveying. I think that the movie had a serious impact on people in an extremely positive way.
The discussion was also extremely productive. Certain questions…. we were able to discuss broader themes and how they related to us as individuals, our culture, and our community. Everyone had extremely relevant input to give and was engaged throughout the entire event.
On a personal note, my girlfriend lives down the street from DeAnza College where some scenes were filmed and she said seeing that had such a big impact on her since everything was so accurate and close to home for her.”
From Mary Hussein, Director of CSU Fresno Cineculture Series:
“THE VALLEY screened to a near full house (approximately 300), composed of students, faculty, staff and community members. I have been responsible for the CineCulture film series for 12 years, and THE VALLEY is one of the best screenings ever. The audience thoroughly enjoyed the film, which led to a thought provoking discussion with Director Saila Kariat.
Saila was a dream to work with, the process was seamless from beginning to end. She was a delightful guest, and so responsive in terms of finalizing logistics. I would LOVE for her to return with her next film! She’s delightful and her work is very special.“