Private Project

An Exercise in Empathy

California State University-Chico (CSU) and the surrounding community remains profoundly affected by the death and destruction of the Camp Wildfire of 2018.

Knowing of that suffering, and that grief is cyclic, Dr. September Williams, physician-author, and bioethicist seized the chance, when it was offered, to share her work on Narrative Bioethics, Cross-Cultural Competency, and end of life care at CSU.

The date was set for February 12, 2020, unbeknownst to all that it would be during the rising phase of America’s arm of SARS-CoVID19. This pandemic again underscores that health inequities are related to geographical location, race, class, human, and political behavior.

More than anything COVID19, like the Camp Fire, should redouble efforts for better integration of science, research, and humanities to promote public health.

Film producer-director and journalist, Cedric O’Bannon, immortalizes ‘September Williams Visit to CSU-Chico’ in honor of researchers, teachers, and healthcare workers on the frontlines of the SARS-CoVID19 Pandemic. This film is close captioned in multiple languages with Latin Alphabets.

  • Cedric O'Bannon
    Director
    An Exercise in Empathy, An Act of Unity, Backlash
  • September Williams
    Writer
    An Act of Unity, Backlash, When We Are Asked:About Crossing Over,
  • September Williams
    Producer
    An Act of Unity, BACKLASH, When We Are Asked
  • Cedric O'Bannon
    Producer
    An Act of Unity,Backlash, When We Are Asked
  • September Williams
    Key Cast
    "self "
    When WE Are Asked: About Crossing Over, Act of Unit, Backlash
  • September Williams
    Talent
    When We Are Asked
  • Tray Robinson
    Talent
  • Karen Lightfoot
    Talent
  • Greg Olson
    Cinematographer
  • Casey Zampa
    Cinematographer
  • Emil Bradqvist
    Musical Score
  • Cedric O'Bannon
    Editor
    The Heart of Amical Cabral, An Act of Unity,Backlash,
  • Project Title (Original Language):
    An Exercise in Empathy
  • Project Type:
    Documentary, Feature
  • Completion Date:
    October 18, 2020
  • Production Budget:
    15,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:19
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Kwanzaa Film Festival
    Harlem, New York
    United States
    December 26, 2021
    World Premiere
    OUTSTANDING RECOGNITION AWARD
  • World Priemere
  • OUTSTANDING RECOGNITION AWARD
    Rancho San Clemente, CA
    United States
    March 18, 2022
    California
    Special Recognition Award
  • BEACH CITIES INSPIRATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
    Rancho San Clemente, CA
    United States
    April 25, 2022
    CALIFORNIA PREMIERE (DELAYED BY COVID)
    SPECIAL RECOGNITION AWARD
Distribution Information
  • Ninth Month Productions
    Distributor
    Country: Worldwide
    Rights: All Rights
Director Biography - Cedric O'Bannon

Cedric O'Bannon is a Black freelance video journalist and documentary filmmaker. A member of the National Writers Union/International Federation of Journalists, O'Bannon's work advances humanitarian goals by clarifying the past in support of a better future. Cedric O'Bannon's journalistic focus clarified in 2012. That was the year unarmed 17 year old, Trayvon Martin, was fatally shot, walking to his father's home in a closed community in Florida.
By 2016, O'Bannon was filming political rallies of the man who would soon become the chief executive officer of the United States.

Cedric O'Bannon's formal film and journalism education evolved from 1991 to 2000. Its venues included the National Broadcasting School, City College of San Francisco, San Francisco State University, and the Academy of Arts University, San Francisco. Director O'Bannon's work in motion pictures, and membership in the International Alliance of Theater and Stage Employees ( IATSE) as an archivist, and numerous theatrical settings, define his exquisite representations of the intersection between eras in history and contemporary events.

It was June of 2016, while working as a video journalist, that Cedric O'Bannon was stabbed by a Neo-Nazi, wielding a spear at the end of a flag pole—which still bore an American flag. And so—history handed Cedric O'Bannon his documentary film and journalistic destiny, well before the siege on the USA capitol building in January, 2021. Filmmaker Cedric O’Bannon is based in Oakland, CA.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

This decade (the 2020s) already demands a rapid turnaround of creative information exchange. It is an era which out of necessity is dominated by screen narratives. From the analog world of motion picture film to the world of digital cinema, and journalism my multidisciplinary experience has given me insight into film, television, and live theatrical workflows that not only save money but can save a production.

Since the murder of Travon Martin in the United States, my work has been focused entirely on documenting the history and resurgence of fascism- and the subsequent anti-fascist movement. I have worked to developed as a quintessential filmmaker, with a bent for team building, and a focus on organization, journalistic reflection, and rapid project turnover. My goal is continual growth in the audiovisual arts and science—collaborating with others to do the same—at a time in history when this is not optional but essential.