Emily Arndt on Reducing the Divide
Image from The Space Between (Copyright Emily Arndt)
Perhaps Emily Arndt's path was likely to take her to this vantage point. With her experiences as a political science major (minor in photography) at York College, an AmeriCorps volunteer for the United Way, a Peace Corps volunteer in Azerbaijan, a federal government employee, a 14-hour-long day spent on political campaigns, and a Master's in Political Communication from American University, she was bound to have a unique perspective on our political climate.
The two+-minute movie trailer (shown below) reminds us via visual scenes that our country too often showcases political divides. Those views of separation, however, are mitigated by the sense of community shared by four individuals interviewed by Arndt and crew.
The Space Between (www.spacebetweenfilm.org) is Emily's attempt to share her apolitical belief that our disagreements do not need to separate us in our everyday lives. The trailer's tagline is, "Tired of Division? There's Hope."
The movie reaches us via a documentary-style approach with visual storytelling, relying extensively on conversations by and with individuals with varying political experiences and beliefs. America's current status is discussed in terms of values & stories rather than political party labels.
Tribalism is strong where we “live” politically, but assumptions and beliefs will be challenged when we listen to and understand the interviewees. As a viewer, one may find growing empathy for those with other views.
While the initial production focused extensively on four individuals from the D.C. area, on April 15th, 2024, Arndt will interview and film discussions with five York County residents. These talks will utilize questions from the "Living Room Conversations" program, available online. York College will provide facility use, and the Cultural Alliance of York County has provided grant support locally.
While Emily originally intended to remain outside the scope of view, she soon realized that she needed to include her own journey. While she believes the country has become more divided, she notes that those differences can be combated with conversation. While civil discourse may cause some discomfort, empathy is likely to occur.
Asked about the degree of division currently and whether we are at the same point as our Civil War, Arndt states, "Yes and no. Right now, I believe we're the most entrenched in our parties we've ever been—because of unconscious biases and human nature to form competing groups. But, we were much more divided as far as policy and beliefs during the Civil War and the Civil Rights movement, for example."
Does she believe social media has had a significant impact?
"I think social media has made the tribalism between our parties more intense. As social media users we reward the most polarizing and extrreme posts, encouraging people to post with maximum divisiveness about the other side. The far left and the far right only make up about 7-8% on each side, and they're the ones who get the traction for divisive posts. The loudest voices aren't representative of the majority of Americans."
How can our readers find fair, balanced news sources? What does Emily rely on?
"I get press clips from The Hill, The Washington Post, and the Wall Street Journal. I also follow both conservative and liberal media, such as Fox News and NPR, to see how different sources are presenting news. If you look at different sources, you'll notice that stories are told very differently. Follow All Sides Now on Instagram to get a front-row seat."
Emily Arndt, submitted
When discussing the film, she stresses that she is "not in this for myself." It has been a project where she has much of her own editing, production, and distribution, but with the help of an amazing crew, noted on the film’s website.
She particularly references Heidi Yewman, who made the film Behind the Bullet, stating that Yewman has "been a huge inspiration and help to me. I met her at a screening of her film, and we've been in touch ever since. She's been inspiring me throughout the past three years."
"Also, my consultant Jon Betz, who made the film Seed. He's been with me on this process for a couple of years and has been an invaluable help as I find the story through filming."
I asked Arndt, "Wearing your Political Science and Communications hats, rather than that of a filmmaker, what will interest you in the November elections? What will the political science grad be watching for?"
She shared, "I'll be watching to see how Americans respond to this election. It'll be interesting if people vote or if they're too tired of politics. I hope they do. Politics is everything. It's life. It's the air we breathe and the roads we drive. It's important to participate, even when we're exhausted of it. "
Emily continues, "I consider myself a global citizen. American democracy is a beacon of hope to many around the world. However, we've kind of fallen from grace in the past several years because of events like January 6th. I want us to maintain that status and keep improving our country. I've always been mission-driven. That's why I served in the Peace Corps and AmeriCorps. After all I've learned through my education and working on campaigns, I feel I have a duty to share with people that there is hope and that we actually have a lot in common. I want to give my loved ones hope. We could really use some of that right now."
The Space Between
www.spacebetweenfilm.org
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KGDj61WRwQ4
All works copyright
Emily Arndt, The Space Between, and/or Andrew T. Smith