April 11, 2011, KLAMATH FALLS, ORE. – Oregon Institute of Technology will show the documentary film The Anatomy of Hate: A Dialogue to Hope on Tuesday, April 19, 2011 at 7:00 p.m. in the Oregon Tech College Union Auditorium. Admittance to the film is free and open to everyone.
This ninety-minute, independent film reveals the shared narratives found in individual and collective ideologies of hate, and how humans as a species can overcome them.
The creation of The Anatomy of Hate represents one determined man’s quest for answers to an age-old question: Why do we hate? Initially moved by the horrors of 9/11 and wondering how he might help create a better world, Ramsdell began a six- year odyssey that led him to capture some of the most venomous ideologies and violent conflicts of our time including the White Supremacist movement, Christian fundamentalism as an anti-gay platform, Muslim extremism, the Palestinian Intifada, Israeli settlers and soldiers, and US Armed Forces in Iraq.
“What I found was, for me, life changing,” stated Ramsdell. “There was no boogieman, no devil, nor any single person or group of evil at the center of all this violence, war, and hate. Instead I found a planet full of creatures doing their best to fill the void of existence with limited psychological tools, and emotional shortcomings – myself included. And instead of embracing these shortcomings and using them as empathetic links to our fellow men, I discovered that our psyche turns them into mythological monsters that we can project onto others, declaring those ‘others’ as inferior, evil, or deserving of death.”
Gritty, often harsh first-hand footage is interspersed throughout the film with thought-provoking interviews with leading sociological, psychological, and neurological experts; along with tales of redemption told by former “haters” to show both the emotional and biological mechanisms which make all people susceptible to acts and ideologies of hate.
However, the film also demonstrates how these very deep human traits make us equally capable of overcoming them, and that’s where hope is revealed.
“Hope that if man creates hate, he can also un-create it. And indeed I met some amazing people doing just that – overcoming their cultural hard-wiring to reach across enemy lines”, Ramsdell added, “More than anything, I believe it is dialogue that will move us past the barriers of fear, cultural conditioning, and stereotypical thinking – to an understanding aligned with the eternal truth that we are all one. It is my highest vision that this film, and its core concepts, will serve as a catalyst for that dialogue.”
The filmmaker states that his creed as a social change entrepreneur is: “Nothing can happen without understanding. Nothing will happen without hope. Nothing does happen without action.”
Michael Ramsdell will be available to answer questions following the film screening. His stop at Oregon Tech is part of his Southern Oregon Tour.
For more information about the film, Mike Ramsdell, and persons featured in the film, visit: http://anatomyofhate.com/about.
Questions about the presentation at Oregon Institute of Technology, should be directed to Chris Frazier at 541.885.1392/email chris.frazier@oit.edu or to Jane Rider at 541.885.1389/ email at jane.rider@oit.edu.
About Oregon Tech
Founded in Klamath Falls in 1947, Oregon Institute of Technology is one of seven institutions in the Oregon University System, and the only public institute of technology in the Pacific Northwest. Oregon Tech provides degree programs in engineering and health technologies, management, communications and applied sciences that prepare students to be effective participants in their professional, public and international communities through hands-on learning. Oregon Tech’s main campus is in Klamath Falls; other sites are located in Portland, La Grande and Seattle. Visit www.oit.edu to learn more about Oregon Institute of Technology.
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