What Lies Inside: Healing in the Face of Trauma

As a teacher in an urban school district where almost every child has been subjected to trauma in some form, I am thrilled to see this taboo issue explored with such intimate integrity. Director Luke Renner blends emotion, personal struggle and science perfectly to tell a human story, that until now, we have been afraid to face. Every educator who believes in being "Trauma Informed" should make this film a part of their professional development and SEL teaching.

What Lies Inside is one of those productions which for a while after you've been lucky enough to watch it- you're speechless. Whether it has upset you, inspired you, educated you - or all three, it's impossible not to deeply reflect on what you've just seen. This documentary truly is one of a kind!

With as traumatizing as this year has been, it's important for us all to recognize our collective traumas and mental anguishes. This film is able to remarkably take you through the inner workings of our own mind from someone who underwent a journey of their own throughout. It is remarkable to see the audience character also be the narrator and as Luke goes through his own journey, we do as well.

"What Lies Inside" is an incredibly personal, artful, and deeply helpful exploration of trauma. As someone who lives with trauma myself (and works with a community of highly traumatized minorities), I am deeply grateful for this film. While it shouldn't be viewed lightly, it should be watched widely.

I was skeptical at first. Prepared to be entertained with a film that "was about him." After about 30 minutes, I thought "This film isn't about him, it's about them." It hit me hard when I realized, that ultimately, it was about me...and you. Beautifully shot and expertly crafted, Mr. Renner invites you on a difficult journey of his own self-discovery, introduces you to sympathetic "real" people who are genuine and disarming with their vulnerability as they share their own stories of trauma, all while real professionals provide context for the experience. By the end, the viewer is left with questions about their own journey, but with tangible solutions they can take with them should they choose to begin their own quest for healing. As a lifelong educator, I fully endorse this beautiful film and urge those who work with broken people to add it to their tool kit.