Presented as part of Bijou Film Forum, with support from Psychiatry Interest Group Integrative Medicine Interest Group a series of screenings and discussions of acclaimed and provocative films that seek to engage community members and U. of Iowa students across all disciplines and fields of study through the art of film. Free admission for UI students and $6 for general public.

DIALOGUE: Post-screening panel discussion with producer/director Bob Hurst in person for a discussion with Beau Pinkham (Crisis Intervention Program Coordinator) and volunteers from the Johnson County Crisis Center

THE LISTENERS

THE LISTENERS explores the role of crisis phone lines in mental health care and the many people, often volunteers, who answer calls.

The film follows a cadre of new volunteer trainees in crisis and suicide prevention at the Headquarters Counseling Center in Lawrence, Kansas, who undergo rigorous training to staff crisis lines. Through their eyes--and more importantly, their ears--the film examines mental health and suicide prevention strategies, volunteerism and the life-saving power of empathy.