Boehm and Johnston Awarded MSU Research Foundation Funding for Arts and Humanities Film Project

Feature-length documentary will explores gun violence in America through diverse perspectives and trauma-informed initiatives, funded by a 2024 Humanities and Research Program (HARP) Large-Scale Development Grant from the MSU Research Foundation.

Scott Boehm and Peter Johnston have been awarded the 2024 Humanities and Arts Research Program (HARP) Large-Scale Development Grant to produce a feature-length documentary. Courtesy images.

Scott Boehm, an assistant professor of Spanish and global studies and affiliated faculty in the Film Studies program in the college of Arts & Letters at Michigan State University, and Peter Johnston, a digital media specialist and film production manager in the Film Studies program, have been awarded the 2024 Humanities and Arts Research Program (HARP) Large-Scale Development Grant to produce a feature-length documentary. OUR KNOTTED GUN will explore gun violence in the U.S. through diverse perspectives and approaches, aiming to reach national and international audiences.

Funded through the MSU Research Foundation and Office of Research and Innovation, HARP grants are designed to support faculty engaged in arts and humanities projects. The HARP Large-Scale project grant funds exceptional and substantial creative and performance-based projects, supporting faculty in developing projects that are likely to lead to global distribution and enhance the reputation of the faculty member and MSU.

The effects of gun violence are far-reaching and personal. OUR KNOTTED GUN examines historical aspects of this crisis and features personal experiences, with the MSU campus as a key site for the film. The February 13, 2023 tragedy at MSU strongly impacted the community, sparking difficult conversations and inspiring actions. The documentary includes voices like MSU students Saylor Reinders, co-leader of Students Demand Action, and Maya Manuel, the founder of Sit-Down MSU.

National figures in the film include David Hogg, survivor of the Parkland massacre, and Manny and Patricia Oliver, parents of a Parkland victim and founders of Change the Ref. Boehm and Johnston aim to create a documentary that listens to those affected by gun violence rather than debating the second amendment. Inspired by the voices of the lockdown generation, Boehm focuses on solutions and unexpected perspectives.

The film’s title, OUR KNOTTED GUN, refers to the well-known sculpture Non-Violence, symbolizing the transformation of the gun's meaning. The documentary includes trauma-informed programming initiatives like Why Knot NY? at Lehman High School in the Bronx. Through sociodrama and art therapy, students reinterpret their own knotted gun sculptures, fostering exploration and introspection.

Inspired by global perspectives, including testimony from Marco Díaz-Muñoz, an assistant professor at MSU, the film critiques the many aspects of gun violence and gun culture in the U.S. Boehm's experience with survivor testimony from the Spanish Civil War adds a unique global context. Using wide-angle formats and natural language dialogue, the film aims to convey the magnitude of the problem respectfully. Boehm and Johnston are seeking additional funding to complete the documentary, with plans for national and international distribution by 2027.

Read the full article at MSU Office of Research and Innovation