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Documentary Updates
Follow along on our journey of creating our first documentary, Courage to Love: The Power of Compassion.
Purpose
Our Mission
Courage to Love: The Power of Compassion is a feature-length documentary dedicated to exploring a transformative, timeless message: the courage to love those who stand against us. This message, championed by figures like Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Gandhi, and Mother Theresa and rooted in profound spiritual traditions, is not just a historical ideal—it’s a universal call to action that asks us to rise above our differences. From survivors of deep-rooted conflicts to advocates for peace, this film brings to life real stories of those who have embraced love over hate, showing us that better outcomes await when we choose love over animosity.
Through emotional storytelling, expert insights, and inspiring visuals, Courage to Love illustrates how the simple act of loving one’s enemies can transcend politics, cultural divides, and even centuries of hurt.
Why This Message Matters Now
In a world where division feels ever-present, the radical choice to love our adversaries is more relevant—and more challenging—than ever. Amid polarization, social unrest, and global conflict, this documentary offers a new perspective on healing: a way to transform relationships, rebuild communities, and offer a vision of peace in an age of disconnection.
Dr. King believed that love has the power to drive out hate, a sentiment we’re capturing in action through the real lives of people who put these ideals into practice every day. Courage to Love isn’t just a film; it’s an invitation to be part of a movement for hope, unity, and reconciliation.
Outputs
- 9-11 recorded face to face interviews with individuals from across the globe, who are actually practicing agape love specifically loving those who are most hurtful. We currently have a database with 25 names.
- Expert interviews on agape love to complement interviews. These expert testimonies are meant to help us understand the biological, sociological, cultural benefits of agape love.
- Production of a 75-90 minute documentary film on the interviews and the supplemental research to educate individuals, who want to choose love, on how to begin to have conversations that bring people closer together to others and heal divides in their own lives.
- Production of a series based on smaller episodes (5-7) featuring the incredible work of organizations focusing on loving others.
- Development of a repository of practices (tools) which will enable people to practice this type of agape love towards themselves and other people. The tools will be disseminated via website.
- To share stories of real-life experiences that demonstrate how love and compassion can break the cycle of hatred and violence.
- To inspire a global audience with examples of people who have chosen compassion over conflict, forgiveness over revenge.
- To broaden the reach of this message by translating the documentary into multiple languages, ensuring that it can touch hearts and minds across the world.
- To increase understanding of the impact of forgiveness, curiosity, compassion and love for those we struggle with.
- To offer people strategies on how to choose curiosity, love, compassion and forgiveness over fear, hate and conflict.
Our Team
Gissele Taraba
Gissele Taraba is a Tedx Speaker, University Professor, Author, Researcher, Podcaster, and Entrepreneur. Gissele is the ideal person to lead this project. First, has conducted interviews on extraordinary forgiveness and compassion for her podcast, Love and Compassion with Gissele. Her podcast is currently in 44 countries world-wide. She has interviewed people on both sides of the spectrum, those who are most hurtful (Tony McAleer) and those impacted by the hurtful behaviour (Rukiye Abdul Mutakalim, Lara Naughton). She is an experienced interviewer having conducted qualitative and quantitative research since 2001. Lastly, she also has a database of individuals who have agreed to take part in the documentary/research as well as key experts in the field of research on agape love.
Rukiye Abdul-Mutakallim
Rukiye Abdul-Mutakallim, mother of young man who was killed by 2 underage youths who chose to forgive them and assist them improve their lives. Her story has been viewed 45 million times online. She is CEO of the Musketeer association which focuses on assisting young people and their families address trauma in their lives. Her work focuses on saving the three Bs: babies, butterflies and bees. She is a strong advocate for restorative justice, especially for young children. Abdul-Mutakallim has shown compassion and support for victims and their families. She has advocated for helping young people who have committed crimes, such as Javon and Valentino, by visiting them in prison, helping them get an education, and showing them that there is a better life.
Dr. Judy Eaton
Dr. Judy Eaton is a Professor of Psychology at Wilfrid Laurier University and is a key advisor. She earned her MA and PhD in social psychology at York University. She has spent more than two decades studying apologies and forgiveness – in friendships and romantic partners, the workplace, and the criminal justice system. She recently published the academic monograph Apologies from Death Row: The Meaning and Consequence of Offender Remorse, which summarizes a multi-year examination of remorse in the final statements of offenders executed in the United States. Her current research, involves the concept of closure as it relates to victims of crime, and how victims of crime who choose to forgive – or not forgive – are viewed (and influenced) by people not involved in the crime. She has published over 25 academic articles in prestigious journals. Her work has been profiled in prominent media outlets such as Time, Popular Science, NBC News, BBC News, CBC News, and Smithsonian Magazine. She is currently under contract with Bloomsbury (US) and Doubleday (Canada) to write a trade book on the importance of apologies in a divided world.
Dr. Danielle Law
Dr. Law is Associate Professor at, Wilfrid Laurier University and temporary Chair in Child and Youth Studies. She also oversees the Child and Adolescent Research and Education (CARE) Lab . She has a PhD, Educational and Counselling Psychology and Special Education, University of British Columbia. MA, Educational and Counselling Psychology and Special Education, University of British Columbia. BA Psychology, University of Alberta. She takes an interdisciplinary approach to the study of children and youth. Broadly, She is interested in studying how children, adolescents, and young adults develop cognitively and socio-emotionally as they interact and socialize using various technologies. Specifically, she specializes in social-emotional learning, social relationships, online aggression & associated mental health concerns, internet socialization, mindfulness and compassion. She values discovering how to create caring communities.
Dr. Patrick Clarkin
Patrick Clarkin is a biological anthropologist who has taught at UMass Boston for 20 years. His research has pertained to southeast Asian refugees, the effects of war on the growth of children and long-term impacts of war on adult health. His classes have pertained to growth and nutrition, human evolution, nature and nurture, and conflict and cooperation. He has published in journals such as the American Journal of Human Biology, Annals of Human Biology, Journal of Psychosomatic Research, Hmong Studies Journal, Psychoneuroendocrinology, and the Annual Review of Anthropology. He also maintains a website of essays about anthropology, named after his late brother, Kevin: kevishere.com.
Chris Zarka and Raj Panikkar from Fifth Ground Entertainment
The FGE team brings stories to life on every screen – from factual and documentary to scripted to branded content. Toronto-based FGE is known for its award-winning television including comedy series Rent-A-Goalie (Showcase, 22 industry awards nominations), music documentary series The Rawside Of… (IFC, 2 Gemini nominations), and critically lauded documentary series Reelside (TMN/Crave, 2 Canadian Screen Awards nominations – best documentary series and best directing). FGE produced kids’ science adventure series Leo’s FishHeads and Leo’s Pollinators (nominated for a Best Children’s Non-fiction CSA) for TVOkids, with Secrets of the Forest on air now and The Screen Team and The Booligans in development. Additionally, FGE produces digital and branded content including collaborations with Spin Master, Deloitte, BlackBerry, Yahoo! and the NHLPA. FGE is also heavily involved in documentary production with a social conscience.
David Taraba
David Taraba is currently co-owner of Maitri Centre and has vast experience in project management in the manufacturing sector. He provides website support and project management insights.
Funding
Coming soon!
