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Free screening of “My Beautiful Stutter” to shine light on stuttering community

 

SALUDA—The Saluda Library will host a free screening of “My Beautiful Stutter,” an award-winning documentary film about SAY, the Stuttering Association for the Young. Ryan Gielen directed the film, which had famous names as executive producers, such as Paul Rudd, Mariska Hargitay, Peter Hermann, George Springer, and Patrick James Lynch. 

The documentary follows the lives of a handful of young people who struggle with stuttering and includes footage of them and the people they meet in their journey with SAY. Some of the footage is on the grounds of Camp Blue Star in Hendersonville from the years when CampSAY used the facilities in the summer. The camp is now located in New York.

This showing will be hosted by Saluda resident Ellen Rogers, a stuttering ally and member of the CampSAY staff since 2017. Before the documentary, Ellen will share some of her personal experiences with the organization and the community of young people suffering from stuttering issues. Rogers will be available to answer questions after the film.

“Being a member of the CampSAY staff fills my life with joy. It is the highlight of my summer and is the reset I need before starting another school year. Nowhere else have I experienced a community that respects one another as much as at CampSAY,” Rogers said. “Most of our campers never knew someone else who stuttered before getting involved with SAY. Unfortunately, many folks who stutter are teased and tormented for speaking differently. At SAY, though, everyone has as much time as they need to say what they want to say and every voice matters.

“I look forward to sharing this film with my local community and providing some education about young people who stutter.”

The event is open to the public and appropriate for all ages, though viewers should know that the film contains some emotionally “heavy” content.

The screening will take place on Saturday, May 11 at 10:30 a.m. in the upstairs meeting room of the Saluda Library.