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Weston resident Barbara Levi-Berliner jumped at the chance to moderate a conversation after the showing of the education documentary "Race to Nowhere" at Bethel Cinema on Feb. 9.
"My hope is to use the movie as a springboard for whoever is present to start a dialogue in their communities about how to reduce stress in their kids," Levi-Berliner said.
Today's recipe for success is simple: get good grades, participate in extracurricular activities, volunteer your time, ace your SATs and get into a good college. But underneath that simplicity is the dark reality that pressure can lead to depression, anxiety and sometimes even suicide. This is the theme that the movie follows.
Levi-Berliner, a social worker by trade, was approached by theater owner and fellow Westonite Pam Karpen to moderate the conversation. Proceeds from the show will benefit Safe Rides, a group that provides transportation for teenagers on Friday and Saturday nights.
"I think [the film] really focuses on an issue that we as parents need to look at," she added. "We need to look at what we are doing to maybe heighten our kids' stress unnecessarily."
Levi-Berliner works with families and helps parents find their niche in the world of child rearing. Her choice seemed a perfect fit.
The film has been shown all over the country and has been written about in the New York Times, the Washington Post and the Los Angeles Times. It has spread through word of mouth and is considered a grassroots alternative to "Waiting For Superman," another education documentary but with a Hollywood budget.
The show begins at 7 p.m. The Bethel Cinema is located 269 Greenwood Ave., Bethel. For more information, call 203-778-2169 or visit the cinema's website.
What do you think about the pressures on children to succeed? Tell us your thoughts in the comment box below.
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