by Maya Arigala

If the quest for harmonious co-existence and the triumphs of an outspoken, extraordinary women sound interesting to you, be sure to drop by The Grand Cinema on Thursday, November 5, for an inspirational documentary about cyberbullying victim and survivor of Orphan’s Disease Lizzie Velasquez.

For those unfamiliar with Velasquez’s story, she is a 26-year-old woman living with a rare congenital disease that prevents her from accumulating body fat. She was the victim of vicious cyberbullying at just seventeen after a video of her was posted on YouTube with the title “World’s Ugliest Woman.” What makes Velasquez’s story so uplifting is that her response to this was not to lash out at the creators of the video or let it keep her down, but rather to channel that negative energy into becoming one of the leading activists in the fight against bullying. 

Velasquez has published two books, Be Beautiful, Be You (2012) and Choosing Happiness (2014), about her own experiences with bullying and learning the important lesson of self-love in an attempt to further her cause. She has also given a Ted Talk that has just shy of 10 million views on YouTube called “How to Define Yourself,” in which she puts a voice and a physical presence to her teachings. 

The most recent development in Velasquez’s campaign is her documentary A Brave Heart: The Lizzie Velasquez Story, which is the movie Annie Wright is sponsoring at the Grand. Annie Wright has already bought all the tickets for the showing, so admission is free! Tickets are on a first come, first serve basis.