UHV hosts screening of film about overcoming addiction
The University of Houston-Victoria will host the screening of an independent film that addresses the subject of addiction and offer viewers a chance to speak with the director.
The UHV College of Liberal Arts & Social Sciences will show the film, “The Year of the Dog” at 5:30 p.m. on Sept. 26 in Victoria College’s Leo J. Welder Center for the Performing Arts, 214 N. Main St. After the film, attendees will have the opportunity to speak with Rob Grabow, the film’s director, writer, producer and lead actor. The event is a partnership with Victoria College, which has sponsored the use of the Welder Center. The screening is free and open to the public. Seats will be available on a first-come, first-served basis.
“‘The Year of the Dog’ has such a positive message about addiction and the recovery process,” said Kyoko Amano, dean of the UHV College of Liberal Arts & Social Sciences. “UHV has the opportunity to serve as a cultural hub as well as a place for mental health discussions. We want people to know that help is available in town, and recovery is possible.”
“The Year of the Dog” follows the story of Matt, a loner alcoholic who has hit rock bottom. His mother’s dying wish is for him to be sober for 30 days and visit her in hospice. As he struggles to stay sober, Matt moves onto his AA sponsor’s farm and finds Yup’ik, a stray husky with a unique talent. The man and dog relationship is precarious at first, but with the help of a close-knit Montana community, the two strays find a connection and discover what it takes to pull through to the finish line.
In addition to the film screening, Grabow will attend two UHV classes in the morning to talk with UHV and VC students studying film and psychology. He also will be available to answer questions about the film immediately after the screening.
“This is a unique opportunity to visit with and hear from a movie director and actor who is so passionate about the subject of his film,” said Jennifer Ortiz-Garza, a UHV senior lecturer of psychology. “I hope attendees will take away and awareness of mental health and addictions and how everyone’s road to recovery can be so different.”
At the screening event, attendees will have access to some tables with information in the theater lobby. As part of the screening, Grabow requested that tables be made available for both a pet adoption agency and local mental health services. One table will offer information about Adopt-A-Pet Victoria and how attendees can support the shelter or adopt a dog or cat. The other tables will include representatives from the Gulf Bend Center and Billy T. Cattan Recovery Outreach.
For more information about the film screening, contact Amano at (361) 570-4200 or amanok@uhv.edu.
The University of Houston-Victoria, located in the heart of the Coastal Bend region since 1973 in Victoria, Texas, offers courses leading to more than 50 academic programs in the schools of Arts & Sciences; Business Administration; and Education, Health Professions & Human Development. UHV provides face-to-face classes at its Victoria campus, as well as an instructional site in Katy, Texas, and online classes that students can take from anywhere. UHV supports the American Association of State Colleges and Universities Opportunities for All initiative to increase awareness about state colleges and universities and the important role they have in providing a high-quality and accessible education to an increasingly diverse student population, as well as contributing to regional and state economic development.