College of DuPage to host free Sustainability Film Series this fall

Learn about a variety of issues related to contemporary energy use and sustainable practices during a series of free film screenings at College of DuPage.

All screenings will be shown at 7 p.m. in the Health and Science Center, Room 1234, at the college's Glen Ellyn campus, 425 Fawell Blvd. These screenings are free and open to the public.

This series is designed to promote film as a tool for education, civic engagement and activism in the movement to build sustainable and resilient communities and protect natural resources for future generations.

A Q&A discussion will take place after each screening. Attendees are encouraged to arrive 30 minutes prior to the start of each film for additional information on the environmental topic addressed in the film and to connect with local community organizations on ways to tackle the issues raised in the film.

"Keep Talking":

Thursday, Oct. 25. This film documents the efforts of four Alaska Native women to save Kodiak Alutiiq, an endangered language currently spoken by less than 40 people. Their small community travels to remote Afognak Island to start teaching kids Alutiiq. Sadie, 13, is inspired to begin learning the language and dances of her ancestors. Instead of getting swept up in the wake of historical trauma, these women overcome personal demons and build toward a brighter future.

"Dead Donkeys Fear No Hyenas":

Wednesday, Nov. 14. This film investigates foreign land investments in Ethiopian farm land and exposes the impact of these investments on people's lives. Around the globe, there is a massive commercial rush for farmland - the new green gold. One of the most profitable new spots for farming is Ethiopia. Hoping for export revenues, the Ethiopian government leases millions of hectares of allegedly unused land to foreign investors. But the dream of prosperity has a dark side - the most massive forced evictions in modern history, lost livelihoods of small farmers, harsh repression and a vicious spiral of violence.

For more information on these free screenings, visit cod.edu/sustainability or contact Shamili Ajgaonkar, sandifor@cod.edu; Laura Burt-Nicholas, burt-nicholasl@cod.edu; or Deborah Adelman; adelman@cod.edu.