To create public conversations about reducing violence in communities, a UF graduate launched a national video anti-bullying campaign.
The documentary, “Coexist,” shares stories from survivors of the 1994 Rwandan genocide, and the grief that comes with coexisting with their loved ones’ murderers.
“It’s important for someone to see a different path than revenge or retribution,” said Coexist Director Adam Mazo.
American Public Television selected “Coexist” to be distributed to public television stations across the country, reaching a potential audience of more than 100 million.
In an effort to raise money for technical improvements before it broadcasts, Coexist launched a campaign earlier this month on www.indiegogo.com to raise $20,000. However, if the campaign doesn’t get all the donations by Feb. 3, the program will receive no funds. As of press time, it had raised about $7,500.
Mazo, who graduated in 2002 with a bachelor’s degree in journalism, said he does not know when it will broadcast, but he expects the documentary to air by May.
He said he conceived the idea for the documentary after a trip to Rwanda in 2006 when he met Agnes, a Rwandan woman who suffered horrific attacks and lost three children.
“She decided to forgive the people who harmed her,” he said. “I was so moved. I felt like I needed to get her story out to the world, and that this was the way I could contribute.”
Since the premiere of the documentary in 2010, “Coexist” has been in a dozen film festivals, nominated for an Africa Movie Academy Award and used as a teaching tool by about 3,000 educators, Mazo said.
As part of a Boston-based educational documentary film project, “Coexist” comes with a free, four-lesson teachers guide, which Mazo said helps students and adults think about issues of reconciliation and solutions to stopping those kinds of behaviors.
“Our mission became more defined to working with young people to create opportunity for public conversations about each person’s role in conflict,” he said. “So together, we can find solutions to bullying and violence that is embedded in our culture.”
Suzanne Tzuanos, a third-year UF law student and producer of “Coexist,” said it is impossible to see the film and not want to talk about it afterward.
“It’s more than a documentary,” she said. “Bringing mindfulness and awareness to children is so important; this gives them the tools they need to think about the future before they act.”
Contact Alexa Volland at avolland@alligator.org.
