Screening of the film, unseen

Join us for a free screening of the film unseen!

This screening will be hosted by Dr. Lauren Clark and Keris Jän Myrick as the culminating event concluding their yearlong partnership for the Heumann Community Partnerships Lab where they focused on exploring the climate of California’s mental health service policies and the need for intersectionality to be considered in psychiatric care. The event will be moderated by Dr. Clark and Keris Jän Myrick and will include a discussion with director Set Hernandez and protagonist Pedro.

The film follows the life of Pedro – an aspiring social worker who is blind and an undocumented immigrant – as he faces political restrictions to his college degree, secure a job as a healthcare provider, and support his family. As he finally graduates, uncertainty looms over Pedro. What starts as a journey to provide mental health for his community ultimately transforms into Pedro’s path towards his own healing. Through experimental cinematography and sound, unseen reimagines a cinema accessible for blind/low vision audiences, while exploring the intersections of immigration, disability, and mental health.

As you watch the watch the film, we encourage you to consider the questions in this discussion guide.

Event Details
When: Tuesday, November 12, 2024 from 4:00-6:00pm
Where: Bruin Reception Room (Ackerman Union 2nd floor)

Registration
Register to attend the screening

About

Pedro is a social worker, who is devoted to providing vision rehabilitation and mental health services for marginalized groups. As a blind undocumented immigrant himself, the intersectionality between immigration, blindness, and mental health has been a constant in his life. With the support of his family and community, Pedro has learned to embrace his identities, using them to empower others to face their own adversities. Pedro has volunteered his time to promote higher education to undocumented students, as he is a firm believer that knowledge is the key for upward mobility. Aside from his profession, Pedro is also a triathlon enthusiast. It is an activity that grounds him and connects him with his higher self. Since his personal life is as important to him as his professional life, Pedro enjoys spending time with his family and close friends. Their love is what motivates him to keep moving forward.

Set Hernandez is a filmmaker and community organizer whose roots come from Bicol, Philippines. As a queer, undocumented immigrant, their filmmaking lies at the intersection of the poetic and the political. Their feature debut “unseen” (POV/PBS, 2024) received an Independent Spirit Award and was shortlisted for Best Feature at the IDA Documentary Awards. Set’s past documentary work includes the short “COVER/AGE” (2019) and impact producing for “Call Her Ganda” (Tribeca, 2018). An alumnus of the Disruptors Fellowship, Set is also developing both a TV comedy pilot and a feature-length screenplay. Since 2010, Set has been organizing around migrant justice issues, from deportation defense to healthcare access. They co-founded the Undocumented Filmmakers Collective, which promotes equity for undocumented immigrants in the film industry. Above all, Set is the fruit of their family’s love and their community’s generosity.

Lauren Clark is a Shapiro Endowed Chair in Development Disabilities Studies at the UCLA School of Nursing. The goal of Dr. Clark’s research is to address quality of life for people with developmental disabilities and their families. Her research spans quality of life measurement, healthy lifestyle programming in the community, women’s reproductive health, and family carework.

Keris Jän Myrick is a leading mental health advocate and executive, known for her innovative and inclusive approach to mental health reform and disability justice. She is the developer and host of the podcast Unapologetically Black Unicorns.

About the Heumann Community Partnerships Lab

Legacy and Futures: The Judith E. Heumann Community Partnerships, honors the late disability rights activist Judith E. Heumann by offering disability community activists a platform and opportunities for collaboration for UCLA Disability Studies faculty. Together, they can explore ideas, experiment with models and practices, and create activities or events that decenter the tenets of ableism permeating institutional structures.

During the 2023-24 pilot year of the Heumann Community Partnerships Lab, Dr. Lauren Clark and Keris Jän Myrick had conversations focused on the chasms in the care continuum and recorded a series of podcasts. Read more about their partnership.

Additional Event Information 

Accessibility:
The film serves as a model for accessible storytelling by using visuals, sound design, text, and language translation geared towards a wide array of audiences. Using experimental cinematography, unseen reimagines film accessibility through an audio-centric experience. The film is captioned for sound and language and has audio description. For more information on the film’s accessibility features, review this website.

Media Advisory:
Please note you will be attending an event where photography, audio, and video recording may occur. The Disability Studies Program will highlight this event, which means your name, image or video (video and/or audio) may appear on our website, social media, or other media formats. By attending the event, you consent to the Disability Studies Program photographing, filming and using your image and likeness.

Parking:
Parking is available at Structures 4 or 7, the nearest lots to Ackerman Union. Parking at UCLA requires a valid permit at all times. Visitors pay for parking in the structure’s pay station. Review the Visitor Parking website for more information.