BELONGING FILM

“We were delighted to host the first Australian school screening of Belonging at St Margaret’s Berwick Grammar. The film has inspired us and aligns beautifully with our Positive Humanity approach, placing belonging at the heart of wellbeing and learning. Grateful for storytelling that challenges and strengthens our practice.”

“Everyone should see this delightful film! Belonging carries a profoundly important message for teachers, parents, and society at large: We CAN protect children from many of the painful and damaging consequences of social rejection. This film pushes back against assumptions that most of us hold uncomfortably but without question: We assume that “kids will be kids,” that “kids are cruel,” and we assume that this is just the way it is—there’s not much to be done about it. Sometimes we try not to think too much about it because we have at least some sense of how much pain and dysfunction are caused by social exclusion and rejection. A major punch of this film comes from its convincing demonstration that there IS something to be done about it. With compelling footage of gifted teachers and counselors and real children, and with artful integrations of psychological research, the film shows us HOW children can be taught to be more socially inclusive. We also get glimpses of how positively that impacts the joy and functioning of the formerly excluded kids. The stories that unfold across this smart and tender film are emotionally evocative and inspiring. I’m not kidding— everyone should see it!”

“This film is a gem! What a wonderful illustration of how children need to be taught principles we often take for granted. The need for belonging and acceptance is fundamental to the human experience. Tolerance, forgiveness, and compassion are the pathways through which people experience a sense of belonging in society, yet our culture has increasingly drifted away from these values in recent years. If we want to create communities and environments where everyone can feel they belong, it’s essential that we intentionally teach the values and behaviors that make that possible. I was thrilled to share this film with a graduate class of future counseling and educational psychologists, as an excellent real-world example of how abstract concepts in social and educational psychology can be applied to, literally, make the world a better place.”

“ ... this film reminds me of the quote attributed to Frederick Douglas, “It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men.” The impact these teachers and educational researchers are having is much more developmentally impactful than any form of behavioral rehabilitation or other form of intervention later in life. This is an excellently made film! 10 out of 10!”

“The film did a great job highlighting how belonging can be socially and mentally advantageous for students in school. ... You have to lead by example and make a real effort to make every student feel seen. This is especially important when trying to integrate culturally diverse students into these settings. This is a powerful message and I think this is applicable even across higher educational spaces. Thank you so much for making this important film!”