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Communal Trauma Healing

We Are All Newtown shows how to connect through the zip codes that divide us.

We Are All Newtown is a documentary short film that follows the journey of Pastor Sam Saylor as he grapples with grief over the loss of his son to gun violence, alongside resentment toward the attention given to Newtown after the Sandy Hook Elementary school shooting — reconciling the two and moving to create change.

On October 20, 2012, just eight weeks before the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School, Pastor Sam Saylor’s son, Shane, was shot and killed on the streets of Hartford. The devastation Pastor Sam felt at the death of his son was compounded by resentment at the massive attention focused on Newtown after the school shooting. But in spite of the disparity between how gun violence is perceived and treated in urban and suburban communities, Pastor Sam had a revelation, “I realized something sitting next to a father from Newtown … he cried like I cried, his tears were wet like my tears. I realized that I am Newtown, we are all Newtown.” 

It was the beginning of a journey that would take Sam from Hartford to Newtown, where he was befriended by Rev. Matt Crebbin and to Washington, where he came together with other faith leaders such as Pastor Mike McBride to shine a light on the issue of gun violence that plagues our country in urban, suburban, and rural communities.

We Are All Newtown is an outgrowth of Kim Snyder’s 2017 documentary feature Newtown, which premiered nationally on PBS’ Independent Lens in 2017. Showcasing unused footage from Snyder’s original production, We Are All Newtown shines a light on the stories of love and loss that are too often overlooked by the repetitive coverage of more sensational tragedies.

Directed by Kim A. Snyder   |   Run Time 19 minutes   |   A Transform Films Production

Impact Goal

Odyssey Impact® and our partners are committed to using this film and accompanying educational resources to highlight the systemic issues that are the root causes of gun violence, promote dialogue and coalition building across communities and support the necessary healing for survivors and communities impacted by gun violence.

Engagement

The engagement campaign for We Are All Newtown will include educational materials and assets for use in a broad range of settings, online outreach and communications to activate audiences and communities, as well as virtual and in-person events and gatherings.

Meaningful Partnerships

These efforts will be supported by a range of partners, including:

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Screening Stories

Here are just a few stories of transformative screenings that communities have hosted of We Are All Newtown.

“As a Black Faith Leader, gun violence survivor, and gun violence advocate, I have witnessed firsthand the lack of attention to the senseless killing of Black children, whose life and death were just as important as those in the Sandy Hook shooting. WE ARE ALL NEWTOWN, continues to remind us gun violence affects all people and we all hurt and grieve the loss of a loved one, the same.”

Rev. Sharon Risher

Red Letter Christian screening participant

“This documentary isn’t just about us; it needs to be shared in community. They need to see it and we need to discuss it."

Participant

Urban Peace Institute

Show your support for gun violence prevention via social media. Use hashtags #WeAreAllNewtown.

Odyssey’s free resources serve as tools to build awareness, shift attitudes, and inspire action directly in your community.
We have discussion guides, facilitator guides, faith-based guides, and more!

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Access Free Toolkit

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