Bright Lights’ screening ‘Her Socialist Smile,’ shines light on Helen Keller’s activism

By Lucia Thorne, Assistant Living Arts Editor
April 14, 2021
In Emerson’s latest Bright Lights film screening on April 7 and 8, “Her Socialist Smile” delves into Helen Keller’s affinity for the implementation of socialism, ending the exploitation of the working class, and her work as a sociopolitical public speaker.
Directed by Emerson professor John Gianvito and narrated by Carolyn Forché, the film uses striking shots of nature paired with historical footage to bring Keller’s words to life. It highlights how ahead of her time she was in her advocacy, and how society has failed to evolve sufficiently since her words were first spoken.
Born in Tuscumbia, Alabama in 1880, Keller was a healthy child until she turned about a year and a half old, when she became sick (believed to be Rubella), causing her to lose her sight and hearing.
At age seven, Keller began learning to read and write at Perkins School for the Blind with teacher and lifelong friend Anne Sullivan. She began teaching Keller how to communicate, mainly through writing out words on her palm. This form of communication eventually led Keller to learn to read, write, and later, speak.
Keller became a public advocate for people with disabilities, emphasizing how ableism has continuously forced people with disabilities into the working class. Eventually, Keller began speaking on her belief that socialism is necessary to solve societal ills against the working class—the aspect of Keller’s life that the film focuses on. Socialism is defined by Britannica as the “social and economic doctrine that calls for public rather than private ownership or control of property and natural resources.”
Courtesy: Berkeley Beacon