GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — A film created by Grand Rapids Public School students at the West Michigan Center for Arts + Technology (WMCAT) will premiere with a screening at the Wealthy Theatre in Grand Rapids. The Kingdom of Remedy: A Fable will be shown on June 2.
The film uses the story of a mythical kingdom to encourage the audience to get vaccinated against COVID-19. The students wrote, planned, produced, and promoted the short film. They also created original sets, props, and puppets.
The West Michigan Center for Arts + Technology was one of 30 organizations to receive funding from the CDC Foundation. The foundation’s goal is to use art to build confidence in the COVID-19 and flu vaccines. “We are excited to bring the arts and science together in a really powerful way with these partnerships,” said Judy Monroe, MD, president and CEO of the CDC Foundation. “Through their chosen art forms, these organizations will be able to create accessible and inspiring work that communicates essential health information about the safety and importance of vaccination in protecting communities from COVID-19 and influenza.”
“We are incredibly excited to share The Kingdom of Remedy: A Fable with our community,” said Mike Saunders, WMCAT program manager and video production teaching artist. “Thanks to the CDC Foundation, teen artists had access to professional equipment and collaborated with professionals in the film field. Our students were able to leverage these tools to tell a story about the importance of community health.”
“I hope that [audience members] learn that the vaccine is important,” said high school senior and WMCAT teen artist Gabby Diaz. “We respect people’s decisions, but at the end of the day, we just want the normal back again, and for future generations to live a happy life.”
The Kingdom of Remedy: A Fable will premiere on June 2 at the Wealthy Theatre. A trailer for the film can be watched below:
