Following this one-time showing will be a panel discussion with former refugees from South Sudan, moderated by Laura Weiss, Education and Outreach Coordinator for the South Sudan Community Association.

In THE GOOD LIE, Philippe Falardeau, (writer and director of the Oscar-nominated MONSIEUR LAZHAR) brings the story of a group of Sudanese “lost boys” – a group of children orphaned by brutal civil war – who are given the chance to relocate to the US. Upon arriving in Kansas, they are met by Carrie Davis (Witherspoon), an employment agency counselor who has been enlisted to help find them jobs—no easy task, when things like straws, light switches and telephones are brand new to them. Although Carrie has successfully kept herself from any emotional entanglements, these refugees, who desperately require help navigating the 20th Century and rebuilding their shattered lives, need just that. So, Carrie embarks on her own unchartered territory. Witherspoon stars alongside actors Arnold Oceng, Ger Duany, Emmanuel Jal, and newcomer Nyakuoth Weil, many of whom are children of the Sudanese conflict.

This special screening leads up to World Refugee Day celebrations on Saturday, June 20, at Benson High School. Omaha has the largest population of refugees from South Sudan in the United States. It’s estimated that Omaha has around 8,500 refugees from Sudan. In addition to individuals from South Sudan, Omaha is also home to refugees from the Northern regions of Sudan including Darfur. Currently, Nebraska has around 27,000 refugees overall, making up 5.5% of Omaha’s population.