'Newtown' Documentary Will Screen At Wesleyan This Weekend

Nutmeggers might debate over what region depicts the heart of Connecticut, but there is little doubt Newtown embodies its soul. The 2016 documentary film "Newtown" brings to light the aftermath of the December 14, 2012 mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School which took the lives of 20 children between six and seven years old, as well as six adult staff members, the shooter, and his mother. The film, a testament to life after death in the suburban town, focuses on the tragedy's "survivors, their families and their community bearing witness."

Nominated for two Sundance Film Festival awards last year, "Newtown" had a limited distribution — until now. In the next few days, Connecticut viewers can watch the 85 minute film in their home or with their community. "Newtown" will be screened on Saturday, April 1st from 3:00 – 5:30pm at Wesleyan University's Ring Family Performing Arts Hall in Middletown, followed by a moderated discussion with the film's director Kim A. Snyder and Newtown residents. The event is free but registration is required.

Home viewers can watch "Newtown" Monday, April 3 on CPTV at 9:00pm. While not rated, the film has been called "an elegant, devastating portrait of a town in mourning" that is more about grief than politics.

For those of us wondering why we would put ourselves through the difficult experience of revisiting the Sandy Hook shootings, John M. Grohol, Psy.D, founder of Psych Central.com, offers an explanation. While personal loss reminds us that we are not on this Earth forever, an epic tragedy such as Newtown's "brings us closer together and allows us — for one fleeting moment, anyway — to feel we share common bounds in humanity. We become more human and more focused on the things which really matter in our lives — our family, friendships, social relationships with others just like ourselves." He said this in his response to the Columbine shootings almost eighteen years ago. With regret, it bears repeating.

Photo credits: Used with permission from the Sandy Hook Promise Facebook page