The Office of Multicultural Affairs and Diversity Programs (MADP) held a screening on Fri., April 3 of Little White Lie, a PBS documentary about one woman’s struggle with race and identity

Filmmaker Lacey Schwartz chronicles the aftermath of finding out that she is not indeed the Mediterranean Jew her mother led her to believe. Never understanding why she looked a little too different from the rest of her family, Schwartz digs deep to uncover her paternity and the struggles of what it means to live with this truth.

“It touches on identity and the value we place on skin color,” MADP Director Cornell Craig said. “This documentary is an exaggerated stark contrast between her experience and how people perceive her, but I think it happens with everyone in less dramatic circumstances.”

Although there were only five people in attendance for the screening at the Center for Unity and Equality (CUE) in Kessel Student Center, this film sparked a strong conversation about what identity is really worth and how damaging lies can be.

The CUE’s screening of Little White Lie marks the first step towards a potential initiative that MADP may start in the future. If popularity increases, future movie screenings may become commonplace in the CUE and span several topics that students may relate to.

Regarding what kind of films would be chosen for these Friday afternoon events, Rachel Simon said, “Mostly documentaries that look at issues of race, class, gender, sexuality, identity. It would be valuable to do, say, a cultural critique of Napoleon Dynamite, just as much as any other film.”