Join Penn State Sustainability for its latest Intersections film screening in this year’s “Mind Over Matter” series. Resistance Climbing profiles Palestinian American Andrew Bisharat, an expert rock climber who has climbed and written about climbing all over the world except in the land of his family’s roots. But all that changes when he is invited by a friend to visit the Palestinian Territories to meet a group of plucky novice rock climbers who have learned the sport in a makeshift “gym” with minimal gear. Suddenly, Bisharat, who had been getting jaded and weary of his own sport, rediscovers his passion for climbing and also confronts the sobering obstacles these climbers face. Just getting to a cliff to climb, even one nominally on Palestinian land, requires crossing checkpoints, enduring threats, and endless complications. The roots of conflict in Israel and the Palestinian Territories are long and complicated; shouldn’t just accessing the outdoors for recreation be one thing that isn’t complicated?

This screening takes a different view on the continued strife in the Middle East and the impacts it has on the many people who live there. But it’s also part of a different conversation about access to the outdoors and who is safe and welcome there. As more and more research suggests the critical benefits of time in nature to our mental health and well-being, how can we ensure that everyone gets that access?

Following the film, we will screen additional short films and have a panel discussion featuring experts from Penn State.

Free and open to all; pre-registration required here.