Cries of Silence

Dartmouth College Office of Public Affairs • Press Release
Posted 04/10/06 • Susan Knapp (603) 646-3661

Three-day program at Dartmouth raises awareness of domestic violence, rape, and mental illness

Students and faculty from Dartmouth College and Dartmouth Medical School are working together to raise awareness about domestic violence, rape, and mental illness. They have organized a three-day program on May 10-12 called "Cries of Silence." The event includes screenings of three documentary films that address these themes. Academy Award-winning (for "Chernobyl Heart") filmmaker Maryann DeLeo and Lifetime Television Vice President Meredith Wagner will be on campus to discuss these movies, speak with students, and share their thoughts with the community.

"Many of Maryann's films delve into difficult, personal subjects," says Lee Witters, the Eugene W. Leonard 1921 Professor of Biology and a professor of medicine and biochemistry at Dartmouth Medical School. "She tells stories with honesty, and she respects the people she is filming. I think our community will learn a great deal from this program."

The core of "Cries of Silence" will be public screenings of three documentaries, all by DeLeo. Each is free, and open to the public.

• On May 10 at 4 p.m. in Collis Commonground, will be a screening of "Rape: Cries from the Heartland," a film that chronicles the brutal experiences of seven rape victims, ranging in age from 8 to 72.

• From the documentary "Terror at Home." (Courtesy Lifetime Television)

  On May 11 at 4 p.m. in 105 Dartmouth Hall, will be a screening of "Terror at Home," which offers an intimate look into the lives of several women who are trying to end their abusive relationships.
• On May 11 at 8 at p.m. in Kellogg Auditorium at Dartmouth Medical School, will be a screening of "Bellevue Inside," a film that explores day-to-day life in a mental hospital.

Each will be followed by a panel discussion. Panel participants include Wagner, DeLeo, representatives of WISE, an Upper Valley advocacy organization for victims of domestic and sexual violence, and a variety of faculty members. Also during their visit, DeLeo and Wagner will speak with numerous students in psychological and brain sciences, film and television studies, and English courses.

This event, organized by the Nathan Smith Premedical Society, is additionally supported by the Council on Student Organizations, the Offices of the President and the Provost, the Sexual Abuse Awareness Program, Dartmouth Medical School, The Department of Film and Television Studies, and the Writing Program.

For more information about any of the public events, please call Kirsten Wolfe at 603-650-1908, or email Kirsten.wolfe@dartmouth.edu.