“Vision for a Gender Healed World” is the first episode in a docu-style exploration into the possibilities of a society that fully embraces gender diversity. Following the personal journey of queer creator Lauren Sunshine, this film captures her pursuit for belonging, healing, and community. The inspiration for this project stems from Lauren’s traumatic experience of being brutally attacked for using the women’s restroom in 2019 — a moment that made national news and shattered not only her jaw but also her sense of safety. This violent event became a catalyst, sparking her quest for healing and understanding. Through intimate conversations with queer thought leaders, spiritual teachers, policymakers, government officials, philosophers and artists, “Gender Healed World” weaves together a collective mosaic that highlights the immense potential for a gender-healed world. A central theme of the documentary is how compassion and empathy can serve as powerful tools for cultivating a more peaceful world. The film asks critical questions: How do we integrate our pain? How do we hold and tend to the heartbreak of our people? How do we alchemize our suffering? Through stories of resilience and transformation, “Gender Healed World” illustrates how healing and forgiveness can pave the way for broader circles of inclusion. It emphasizes the importance of expressing our pain constructively, turning suffering into strength, and creating spaces for dialogue and understanding.
The Artist Foundry is a program of Utah Film Center, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
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