Risking Light

Forgiveness and reconciliation are the overriding themes of Dawn Mikkelson’s documentary, which follows the emotional journeys of three individuals whose lives were shattered by tragedies of very different kinds. In 1993, Minneapolis mother Mary Johnson’s son was killed by Oshea Israel, who was convicted of the crime and sent to prison. After years of anger she asked to meet with him and a bond developed, which was further cemented after his release when they joined together to speak to community groups about their experience, offering a model for others suffering similar losses. Debra Hocking, a Tasmanian woman who was taken from her parents as part of Australia’s policy of placing indigenous children in foster homes during the 1960s, suffered years of abuse before escaping the system. Hocking became a leader in the "Stolen Generation" movement that eventually secured an apology from the government, and her restored relationship with her family is a major part of her story. The third profile follows Kilong Ung, who survived the Cambodian "killing fields" of the Khmer Rouge and returned to his native land with his Cambodian-American family to not only revisit the places where he and his parents were brutalized, but also come to terms with the perpetrators. In life, grievances often seem to be more nursed than let go, but these uplifting stories offer proof of an alternative approach that benefits both parties, as well as society as a whole. Recommended. Aud: C, P. (F. Swietek)