Film Screening – A Quiet Courage: Afghan Journalists in a Time of Terror
Join us for a special screening of Massey Senior Fellow Dr. Anthony Feinstein‘s new documentary film, “A Quiet Courage. Afghan journalists in a time of terror,” and Q&A with the filmmaker.
This documentary emerged from Dr. Feinstein’s research, starting in 2018, into the effects of trauma among Afghan journalists. In it, the psychiatrist and University of Toronto professor captures the experiences of six Afghan journalists, including the dangers they confronted, the psychological impact of their exposure to extraordinary levels of threat and violence, and their hopes for the future of their country.
It was completed just just prior to the sudden collapse of the Afghan government and the Taliban takeover of the country. Almost overnight, the documentary changed from being an account of what life had been like for journalists in the country, to a historical record of that time.
To protect the lives of those profiled, it has also changed from a documentary meant for widespread release to one that is given only limited screening.
As Dr. Feinstein put it: “History overtook this documentary, but the film remains a poignant and powerful reminder of what Afghan journalists endured to keep reporting the news.”
Attendees are invited to give a donation should they wish to do so, to support Dr. Feinstein’s work in helping provide mental health therapy for frontline journalists in conflict zones.
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Speakers
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Rebecca CollardREBECCA COLLARD is a Canadian broadcast journalist and writer based in Beirut, who has covered the Middle East for more than a decade. She reports regularly for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC), filing news and features for radio and television. Her analysis and long-form narrative work has appeared in Foreign Policy, Time Magazine, The New York Times, among other outlets. She has covered the Arab Spring and its regional repercussions, the rise and fall of ISIS, and the mass migration spurred by the resulting conflicts.
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Anthony Feinstein
Anthony Feinstein is a professor of Psychiatry at the University of Toronto. His research follows two broad strands. The first focuses on the search for cerebral correlates of behavioral disorders associated with multiple sclerosis. His neuroimaging (MRI) studies, have helped define the structural brain changes associated with depression in people with MS. His lab has developed novel, computerized neuropsychological assessments that are sensitive to cognitive impairment in people with MS. Current work has elucidated the functional brain changes and cognitive dysfunction secondary to cannabis use in people with MS. He is the principal investigator on a six country, 11 centre neuro-rehabilitation study investigating the potential cognitive benefits of combined aerobic exercise and cognitive rehabilitation in people with a chronic progressive disease course.
His second research area relates to the study of journalists in conflict situations. He has published a series of seminal studies exploring the psychological effects of conflict on journalists covering the Balkans, Iraq, Mexico, Syria, Kenya, Iran, Afghanistan, the refugee crisis in Europe and the aftermath of the 9/11 attack on New York City. He currently consults to a number of news organizations including the Globe and Mail, CNN, and the New York Times.
