Mayors of neighboring communities, Sid Espinosa of Palo Alto and Jac Seigel of Mountain VIew, collaborated in hosting a screening of Not In Our Town: Light in the Darkness in Los Altos Hills, Calif. Local lawyer and avid film critic James Quillinan shares his review of the film from a screening in which more than 50 supporters attended.

By James Quillinan

 

Not In Our Town- Light in the Darkness. A first class documentary explores the issues of bullying, prejudice and violence not as a preachy lesson but as a practical problem to solve. Unfortunately it took the violent death of a Latino immigrant in Patchogue, New York to let that community see the issue and come together to solve it. The film makers extensively interview the family of the victim, community leaders and especially the Town’s Mayor, Paul Pontieri. Through these interviews we can see that the whole town and even the bullies are victims of the prejudice and attitudes that lead to acts of violence as sport. The documentary quietly and effectively lets the townsfolk tell their stories. The key is to allow everyone to feel respected and involved in their community. The documentary is being shown on PBS and can be ordered at www.niot.org [1]. Suitable for family viewing.  It is a Peggy’s Pick.

 

You can find out more about the author and Q's Reviews here [2].