Grief has followed many Sonoma County residents through 2020, a year that will forever be known for multiple wildfires and thousands of COVID-19 cases and nearly 200 deaths. But just because these events come with tragic losses, doesn’t mean they also come with instructions on how to grieve.
With that in mind, Northern California Public Media (KRCB TV 22) is offering a showing of the “Speaking Grief” documentary filmed by WPSU (Penn State University), followed by a live community discussion in both English and Spanish. The documentary will air from 7 to 9 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 7, followed by a live conversation on Wednesday, Dec. 9 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. To participate in the conversation, join a Zoom meeting (894-1714-4096) or log onto the KRCB Facebook Live account.
The community meeting topic is “Natural Disasters, COVID, Social Justice: Staying resilient in the Face of Challenges,” and was organized by Stephanie Manieri, of Latino Service Providers and Dr. Jenny Fish, of Santa Rosa Community Health and H-PEACE. Steve Mencher, former news director at NorCal Public Media, helped with coordination also.
The documentary “Speaking Grief” seeks to move away from the idea that grief is a problem that needs to be fixed. The film validates the experience of grievers and guides those wishing to support them. There is no “right” way to grieve. By sharing diverse representations of bereavement, “Speaking Grief” illustrates that grief is a universal, yet an individual experience.
