Belcourt Theatre Nashville, TN
Autumn Kujawa
Assistant Professor of Psychology and Human Development, Vanderbilt University; Director, Vanderbilt University Mood, Emotion, and Development Lab
Children of Men— Mental health in times of global crisis: Insights from the COVID-19 pandemic
Program Description
Psychologist and mental health researcher Autumn Kujawa explores the toll that COVID-19 has taken on our mental health.
Presented At
Belcourt Theatre Nashville, TN
Film Synopsis
In 2027, in a chaotic world in which women have become somehow infertile, a former activist agrees to help transport a miraculously pregnant woman to a sanctuary at sea.
It is the year 2027, and it has been 18 years since the last baby was born. Explosions erupt in cafes, surveillance cameras abound, armed guards roam the streets, and illegal immigrants are hauled into teeming refugee camps. Theo (Clive Owen), a jaded employee of the Ministry of Energy, tunes out the chaos that surrounds him, but finds his apolitical stance challenged by the reappearance of his former lover, Julian (Julianne Moore). Now the leader of an underground immigrant rights group, Julian pleads with Theo to help escort a young female refugee (Claire-Hope Ashitey) out of the country. After reluctantly agreeing to lend a hand, Theo discovers that the refugee is harboring a shocking, hopeful secret: she is pregnant. Adapted from the P. D. James novel of the same name, Children of Men was nominated for three Academy Awards.
About the Speaker
Autumn Kujawa, Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology and Human Development at Vanderbilt University, director of the Mood, Emotion, and Development lab, and a licensed clinical psychologist. Her research integrates multiple methods, including psychophysiology, neuroimaging, and behavioral measures, to examine vulnerabilities for mood and anxiety disorders and develop more targeted interventions. Dr. Kujawa earned her Ph.D. from Stony Brook University and completed her clinical internship and postdoctoral research fellowship in the neuroscience of mental health at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Dr. Kujawa was recognized as a Rising Star by the Association for Psychological Science and has been awarded research funding from the National Institute of Mental Health, Klingenstein Third Generation Foundation, and Brain and Behavior Research Foundation.