Belonging in the USA:
Stories from our Neighbors
If you exist, you belong. Period.
An award-winning series of documentaries that uplift, inspire, and connect us to what is human within us all through the life stories of freedom fighters. We hope to inspire a new vision for America, where interdependence, self-reflection and empathy are what define us, not our so-called differences.
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Filmed throughout the United States, the series of docs feature people with diverse backgrounds and experiences, sharing inspiring personal stories that remind us of our shared humanity and our capacity for self-transformation against all odds.
Maya Angelou
"You are only free when you realize you belong no place--you belong every place--no place at all. The price is high. The reward is great."
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BORDERSCENE FILM FESTIVAL 2019
"Belonging in the USA: The Story of Michael D. McCarty"
The Belonging project promotes inter-generational, cross-cultural dialogue, and a greater sense of connection. We wish to inspire people of all ages to become powerful change agents. By listening to the stories of those who have and continue to make a difference in the world and their communities, audiences gain new perspective and insight into what they can do to better themselves and the world around them. Through self-reflection, radical empathy, and curiosity we offer an antidote to the constant barrage of negativity, divisiveness, and conflict fed on loop by mainstream media.
If you are an open-hearted, curious person, an educator, or community leader these films are for you. If you want to foster dialogue, understanding, empathy, and social transformation these films are for you.
Whether we live on the same block, same city, or in the same nation, we are all neighbors. We are interdependent and need to work together for the betterment of all, for our species to survive.
James Baldwin
“I imagine one of the reasons people cling to their hates so stubbornly is because they sense, once hate is gone, they will be forced to deal with pain.”
Now more than ever, we need media that promote empathy. We need opportunities of connection. The "Belonging" project is an expression of my love for humanity and my overriding belief that I share with Anne Frank that people are inherently good.
After over 13 years bearing witness to people all over the planet, I am sure that one of our deepest human longings is to be seen and heard for who we really are. I invite you to be a witness to the neighbors sharing their stories open heartedly in the Belonging doc series. I invite you to open your hearts to their stories. I invite you to open your heart to your own story. I invite you to share with us what impacts you the most.
With gratitude and love,
Founder/CEO/CCO