By Lindsay Peyton

A group of West Seattle residents are making sure films with a golden message find their way onto the silver screen.

West Seattle Meaningful Movies offers screenings the first Saturday of each month at the Highpoint Community Center Neighborhood House, 6400 Sylvan Way SW. The events are free and open to the public – but donations are accepted to cover associated costs.

Guests arrive at 6:30 p.m. for refreshments donated by Great Harvest Bread Company and Chaco Canyon Café. Screenings start at 7 p.m. and attendees often stick around afterward for a discussion.

The movies selected have one thing in common.

“They’re always about social justice,” Jay Heyman said.

He coordinates each event with a dedicated crew – Corey Elliott, Denis Martynowych and sisters Katie and Lisa Kauffman.

The group usually meets in Lisa’s home, gathered around her kitchen table to select the titles.

Heyman said the inspiration came from Rick and Diane Turner, who started Meaningful Movies in Wallingford more than 10 years ago.

The couple screened a film every Friday night – and also maintains a lending library of videos.

“They’ve done a great job creating this,” Heyman said. “It’s a great public service.”

The Turners helped Meaningful Movies West Seattle get started – and the couple has since established about 18 more groups.

Elliott recalls meeting with Turner at Uptown Espresso about four years ago, when Meaningful Movies West Seattle was just an idea.

“I had been watching a lot of documentaries and learning a lot,” he said. “I went to Meaningful Movies in Wallingford and said, ‘I’d like to be a part of that.’ Rick was there with us providing the framework.”

Lisa said it took some time to find a spot to screen the films – and then they had to concentrate on getting the word out about the event.

“We did a lot of outreach contacting churches and other organizations,” she said.

“We doorbell-ed and flyer-ed,” Katie added.

And neighbors from around West Seattle came out to see the films. “We had quite a group right off the bat,” Elliott said.

Attendance has continued to rise – with a number of regulars coming back month after month.

The group’s next screening will feature “A Force More Powerful,” a series on successful nonviolent resistance movements produced and directed by Steve York in 2000. One selected episode will focus on the movement Gandhi led in India in the 1930s, and another will center on the Nashville sit-ins of the U.S. Civil Rights Movement.

After the show, Liz Spoerri, a West Seattleite and a member of the Delta 5, will share her story about blocking an oil train in Everett and the historic trial that ensued.

Attending the screenings and the discussions after is an ideal way to connect with others, Heyman said. “People get to talk about the issue, and they find out they’re not the only ones with those thoughts – and they’re not the only ones who worry about those things.”

Katie said the films offer an opportunity to engage in discussions about social change, and Lisa said the events provide a platform for other groups dedicated to social justice to address an audience. Meaningful Movies has collaborated with other organizations during a number of the screenings.

“You’re making a difference; you’re helping people interact,” Elliott said. “And it’s just enjoyable to put on films and have people gather to socialize and talk about things.”

The organizers hope more people will come check out the films – and Lisa said ideally, Meaningful Movies groups would continue to spawn around the world.

“If ours gets too big, we can help start another one,” she said.

For more information or to sign up as a technical volunteer, visit www.westseattlemeaningfulmovies.org. For more information about starting a group, visit http://meaningfulmovies.org.