Documentary examines how local immigrants connect to home countries with technology

A new documentary focusing on immigrant communities in Grand Rapids and how they use media and communication technologies to stay connected with their heritage countries will premiere October 13, at 6 p.m. in the L. William Seidman Center on Grand Valley State University’s Pew Grand Rapids Campus.

“From Somewhere Else: Transnational Communities and Media” features interviews with individuals from many international communities, including Africa, India, China and Latin America, who live and work in West Michigan. Vandana Pednekar-Magal, one of the film’s producers and professor in Grand Valley’s School of Communications, said the documentary aims to showcase how these communities use media technologies to maintain their transnational identities.

“The participants in the documentary talk about what it means to be from somewhere else in America and the significance of staying connected with what they left behind as they make a life in the country of arrival,” said Pednekar-Magal. “I believe the interviews are rich and insightful and offer a view into the lives of a range of immigrant communities in the city of Grand Rapids.”

Pednekar-Magal hopes this documentary will make the subject of global communication more interesting and tangible to students, while also creating an educational tool that can benefit those who teach in areas related to media, culture and society.

The film’s screening will be followed by an open discussion with Pednekar-Magal and Keith Oppenheim, a former Grand Valley faculty member and co-producer of “From Somewhere Else,” as well as a reception. The screening is free and open to the public.

“From Somewhere Else: Transnational Communities and Media” Screening
Monday, October 13, 6 p.m.
L. William Seidman Center, Room 1008 B
50 Front St., Grand Rapids
Pew Grand Rapids Campus