UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. —  Penn State Sustainability’s (SustainPSU) Intersections Film Program returns at 7 p.m. on Oct. 16 with its screening of “Newtok.” The film will be screened online on Zoom and is free and open to the public with pre-registration.  

In “Newtok,” viewers witness that with each passing day, the Indigenous community of Newtok, Alaska, is losing feet of shoreline as sea level rise erodes away the shores and homes of the town. As the seawater rises, it also intrudes into the community's freshwater drinking supply. Determined to hold on, the residents relocate upriver and challenge the federal government to do its duty in protecting the community.  

Each year, Intersections explores a different theme across its films and speakers. This year's theme is “Mind Over Matter,” exploring how mindfulness turns out to be important, not only for individuals, but also for society, too. The series will explore how being mindful means focusing on the values and beliefs that matter most and reconnecting individuals to human- and non-human communities. 

A discussion panel will follow the film featuring Penn State faculty and students, including Guangqing Chi, professor of rural sociology, who studies climate risks and resilience in Arctic and Pacific Indigenous communities.  

“Too often, conversations about climate change in the Arctic have focused on the plight of the polar bears. But human communities in the Arctic have experienced the impacts of climate change far more quickly and acutely than anywhere else on the planet,” notes Peter Boger, director for engagement for SustainPSU. “Even though it was not by choice, these communities have become leaders in developing community resilience in the face of a changing climate and they offer a lesson for all of us.” 

Since 2019, the Intersections Film Program has provided a cinematic exploration of the intersection between social and sustainability related goals, especially the United Nations' 17 Sustainable Development Goals. A related thread of SustainPSU’s programming, the Showcase Speaker Series, connects research, activism, and storytelling by creating a platform for the community to engage with experts in a diversity of sustainability fields. Together, the two programs have engaged more than 10,000 attendees over the past five years. 

SustainPSU’s remaining Fall 2024 slate of programming includes: 

• Tawnya Brant, a leader in the Indigenous foodways movement and former Top Chef Canada contestant. Visiting Penn State for lectures, cooking demos, and other engagements Nov. 11-15. Learn more here.

• “Gather,” an Intersections film screening about efforts by Indigenous leaders around the country to reclaim foodways and build stronger, more resilient communities through food. Screening online at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 13. Pre-register here.

For more information about events, view SustainPSU’s events calendar here. If you have a question or would like to learn about co-sponsoring future events, please get in touch with Grant Rowe at ger5277@psu.edu.