Film about hate crime inspires discussion

Last Wednesday, the Wilshire Auditorium was filled with an astounding number of Fullerton College students gathered together for a free screening of the HBO Film The Laramie Project and a motivating post-film discussion with FC production director Chuck Ketter and FC cast.

The event began with an inspiring introduction from Bob Jensen, Dean of Fine Arts, about The Laramie Project and hate-crimes, followed by the free screening.

The HBO film consisted of a series of interviews of people from Laramie, Wyoming who were affected by the disturbing murder of college student Matthew Shepard. 

The film itself was not about the murder case. It was about finding answers: Why did the murder happen in this little town? How did local residents feel about the issue of hate crime? And what are we as American's going to do about preventing it in the future?

In the film, residents that dealt with the matter of Shepard's death were interviewed. The minister from the local church who preaches about tolerance but won't tolerate the homosexual lifestyle, a professor who was the first public lesbian at a Wyoming University, and a bartender that worked at the place where Shepard met his killers. 

This incident exposed the tension of prejudice and fear in a town that once believed prejudice and fear did not exist. The people of Laramie expressed they had truly believed hate crimes never occurred in their beautiful, peaceful town.

After the screening, Hetter and some of the FC cast held a post-film discussion panel, where they were asked a series of questions from the audience about their experience and motivation.

Hetter  explained the difference and similarities between his production and the original production, stating that his production cast added a ninth member since he wanted to make Shepard an actual role too.

When asked how the play took part in his political views, Steve Chung said "It made me more intolerant to the intolerance."

The outcome of the production and the discussion was moving for those who attended. Jensen encouraged students to participate more in the series they are having in commemoration of the 11th anniversary of Shepard's death.

On Oct. 12, there will be a staged reading of The Laramie Project: 10 Years Later, An Epilogue at 9 a.m., noon, and 7 p.m. at the Campus Theatre. The event will be open to the public with no admission charge.