Atlanta, Georgia
South Florida Filmmaker Cathleen Dean won an Emmy award for her deep-dive exploration into Black Florida’s fight for the right to swim. Wade in the Water Drowning in Racism, brings to life the 1960’s Civil Rights protests that desegregated the state’s beaches and swimming pools.
Now Morehouse College in Atlanta Georgia has invited the Emmy-award-winning filmmaker to screen her film Wade in the Water: Drowning in Racism Documentary at their Human Rights Film Festival on September 20th–24th.
According to organizers, the goal of the festival is threefold: to educate and expand awareness of social justice issues, both nationally and worldwide; to generate conversation and dialogue around civil and human rights, justice, and injustice, as well as to inspire innovative and creative new approaches to social change.
“This year, more than ever, we want to uplift and support human rights storytelling that brings awareness to local, national, and international human experiences,” said Kara Walker, executive director of the Morehouse College Human Rights Film Festival.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), reports that every day, there are nearly 10,000 accidental drownings in the U.S… That’s 3,500 people every year who die in water. The numbers show another astonishing fact: the fatal-drowning rate of Black children is 5.5 times higher than white children in pools. Why? It’s a complex question among the culprits; institutional racism, myths and stereotypes, and inherited fear of drowning.
Dean says she hopes her documentary serves as an agent for change and enlightenment, especially for youth. “I am honored to participate and screen my film Wade in the Water at the Morehouse College Human Rights Film Festival. I hope the documentary can be a source of inspiration and impact for youth in our community and beyond,” she said.
What: Screening of Wade in the Water: Drowning in Racism at Morehouse College Human Rights Film Festival
Where: Atlanta, Georgia
Festival Date: September 20th -24th
Film Screening: September 21, 2022, 11 am-1 pm
About Cathleen Dean
Cathleen Dean is an Emmy award-winning American film director, producer, and photographer who creates innovative work inspired by her experiences in South Florida. Dean captivates audiences by bringing her characters to life. She approaches her work from an anthropological point of view, aiming to uncover historical truths that have been lost, forgotten, or hidden with time. Dean is the founder of BlackCat Media LLC.
Cathleen has BA in History from Columbia University
and an MFA from the University of Miami in Major Motion Pictures
She is most famous for her films Runway Afrique, Wade in the Water: Drowning in Racism, and Being. She has received multiple awards such as:
Roxbury Film Festival Best Documentary Short
Martha’s Vineyard International Film Festival Best Short Film
Miami Film Festival Best use of archival footage in a film
Miami Fashion Film Festival Best Fashion Doc
and an EMMY from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
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