What could you forgive?
From a mother in Minneapolis kissing the cheek of her child’s killer, to genocide survivor forgiving his torturers, Risking Light is a feature length documentary and online storytelling initiative which tells the stories of individuals who have found the humanity in the very persons they thought they could never forgive.
Currently in production, we are currently seeking stories from locations outside the United States. Know one? Contact us!
Now it's your turn! Voices of Forgiveness!
Tell your story and watch other user-generated stories
Since we began Risking Light (previously SMOOCH), we have been inundated with emails and correspondence from people who want to share their stories and perspectives on forgiveness. In honor of that, we are launching a user-generated video initiative called the Voices of Forgiveness campaign.
We envision this as a place where people from around the world can seek hope and inspiration for their own efforts in forgiveness. Join the online global chorus of stories today!
We want you to record stories of forgiveness that have touched your life.
All films that meet content and technical criteria will be featured on the Risking Lightwebsite/YouTube page. A select few of the submitted films from the Voices of Forgiveness campaign will be featured in the documentary!
SMOOCH is now Risking Light: Journeys of Forgiveness
We are excited to announce that SMOOCH is changing its name to Risking Light: Journeys of 
Forgiveness. Why? For those of you who have been with us from the beginning, you will remember that SMOOCH was inspired by a collaboration we had with The Smooch! Project. Although we LOVE the title SMOOCH, we feel it no longer accurately reflects what this film is about.
Mary and Oshea on MSNBC!
Risking Light's own Mary and Oshea share their story with MSNBC's Melissa Harris-Perry as she explores questions around justice and the state of incarceration in the United States. Harris-Perry digs deeper into Oshea's responsibility to Mary and her late son Laramiun as he moves forward in his life outside of prison.
Thank you for Kickstarting Risking Light's International Launch!
In May we held a successful Kickstarter campaign that raised almost $13,000 to fund our team's travel to Battambang, Cambodia to tell the story of Kilong Ung (pictured to the left). Between 1975 and 1979, a teenage Kilong survived the Cambodian genocide that killed two million Cambodians, including his parents, grandmother, and youngest sister. In all, he lost ten members of his family. Kilong, himself, nearly starved to death in a Khmer Rouge labor camp. He eventually escaped to the United States where he excelled in school, receiving his master's degree in 1989. Now a U.S.
Risking Light Wins The Pachamama Award!
Winners from the first annual Possible Futures Film Contest have been announced with Risking Light (formerly known as SMOOCH) taking The Pachamama Award, one of the two Grand Award winners decided by the contest jury. Winners were selected from over 317 submissions from over 44 countries. "I am deeply thankful and humbled by the selection of Risking Light," says the film's Director, Dawn Mikkelson, "I continue to be inspired by the people like Mary and OShea who send their stories on a daily basis for consideration for the film and honored by their willingness to entrust us with these stories. It is through that one-on-one forgiveness that I believe we can impact the larger issues that divide us as global
Risking Light Director - First SnagFilms "The Reel Spotlight" Winner!
SnagFilms.com has awarded their first ever "The Reel Spotlight" profile to Risking Light Director, Dawn Mikkelson. "The Reel Spotlight" profiles filmmakers who have risen above and beyond to help the world discover documentary films. Check out the interview SnagFilms conducted and learn what inspired her to make Risking Light!
SnagFilms is committed to finding the world‘s most compelling documentaries, whether from established heavyweights or first-time filmmakers, and making them available to the wide audience these titles deserve.
Risking Light Subjects Featured on CBS Evening News! - June 7, 2011
We are thrilled to share that Mary and O'Shea were featured in CBS Evening News' Assignment America last night! Footage from SMOOCH is featured in the story. Check it out!
