Directors/Producers: Allison Walsh, Lily Qi

Description:

The story follows the transformative journey of high school students from different faith backgrounds who come together for John Camardella’s world religions class. The film spends significant time in the classroom, capturing the intimate dynamics of these students as they engage in deep, challenging conversations about religion and culture. The students–many of whom come from suburban, homogenous communities–begin by grappling with misunderstanding and apprehension, but over time, they develop a deeper empathy for their peers' beliefs and practices. This process of self-reflection and cross-cultural understanding extends beyond the classroom, as the students navigate their own personal growth and shifting identities. 

Biography:

Allison Walsh is an independent documentary filmmaker and fine artist whose work explores identity, culture and spirituality in the rural Midwest. A PBS Ignite fellow and Interfaith America Innovation fellow, she has worked as a cinematographer and producer on documentaries for ESPN+, Discovery+, Magnolia Network and Time Warp, which premiered at Tribeca Film Festival. She is the co-founder and co-director of the Big Picture Peoria Film Festival and Aluma Media, rooted in a belief that sharing film is a sacred, communal experience. 

Linghua Qi is a filmmaker dedicated to amplifying voices from the Midwest, with a passion for visual storytelling that explores the depth of human experience and reflects social issues that shape our communities. She is an Interfaith America Innovation fellow, a Center for Asian American Media fellow, a Prism Photo Workshop grantee and a Free Spirit Media and City Bureau fellow. She has worked on the Emmy-nominated docuseries Asian American Resilience and Beyond, co-produced by WORLD Channel and the Asian American Documentary Network. She has worked on visual projects for the BBC, CNBC, Belt Magazine, Global Citizen and AARP, among others. 

Contact Information:

e: allisonwalsh223@gmail.com 
w: alloftheabovedoc.com