Two women are standing closely to each other, smiling at the camera.
Leadership | December 12, 2023
Weitz Insights
A black and white portrait of young woman with dark curly hair is wearing a long-sleeve patterned shirt. She is sitting in a cinema chair, resting her chin on her hand, and is smiling at the camera.
Carleton Weitz Fellows | February 28, 2023
Weitz Fellow Voices: Isabel at Film Streams
This is a guest blog by one of our Weitz Fellows, Isabel Anderson. This blog is estimated to take 2 minutes to read.
My name is Isabel Anderson, and I am the 2023 Weitz Fellow for Film Streams, Omaha’s only nonprofit arthouse cinema. This year, I have had the immense pleasure of working for a true Omaha gem which brings films, special events, and educational programs to the community that would otherwise not be possible.
Recently, I was able to help staff an event for SOUND OF METAL, a film about a drummer who begins to lose his hearing, which very fittingly won Oscars for Best Sound and Best Film Editing in 2021. Before the film, I was stationed at the front vestibule of our building at the will call table. Knowing that many attendees would know American Sign Language (ASL), I was able to use the basics of the language I had learned in preparation for this event to make sure our patrons were able to pick up their tickets and find their way to the theater.
The post-screening discussion was by far the most fascinating part of the event. For almost an hour, I was able to listen and even ask a question to the panelists. The discussion ranged from topics like hearing loss to deaf identity, and the choice in hearing aids with representatives present from the Omaha Association of the Deaf, Tami Richardson-Nelson and Nate White, as well as Susan Utterback, a provider for the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services. They were joined by Dr. Monita Chatterjee, a cochlear implant specialist from the Boys Town National Research Hospital.
With two ASL interpreters and a live caption feed displayed on the projection, I witnessed a level of accessibility and intention that I had never seen before in a cinema space. As someone who worked for several years in the Office of Accessibility Resources at Carleton, I was thrilled to see the continuation of the values and respect so important to our office in a space outside the confines of Northfield. Events like these are why I am so proud and excited to be a member of the Film Streams staff, and hope to continue doing work like this for years to come.
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