BINGHAMTON, NY – “The Ripple Effect – Fighting Hate with Love,” is the title of the talk to be given by filmmaker Don Hardy at the Binghamton University Forum event at 5 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 11, in Casadesus Recital Hall in the Fine Arts Building on campus.

Following his talk, Hardy, a native of Windsor, N.Y., will present his 55-minute documentary film Love Hate Love, the story of three families from around the world whose lives were forever changed by some of the most notorious acts of terrorism of the past decade: the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center, the 2005 London transit bombings and the 2002 Bali (Indonesia) nightclub bombings. The film portrays the families affected and takes viewers through their dark days of striving to make the world a better place, fighting hatred with love. Their stories provide proof that even the most horrifying acts of hate can be overcome by the simple act of love.

This acclaimed documentary had its television premiere on the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN) in March 2011.

“Making this film made the world feel like a much smaller and more connected place,” said Hardy. The documentary’s executive producer, Sean Penn, said that “A film like this is a gift, it transcends the barrage of pessimism we can have.”

Prior to directing independent documentary films, Hardy spent more than a decade working as a television news photojournalist with Fox, ABC and NBC affiliates in New York, Florida and San Francisco. He has won numerous awards for his photography and editing, including six Emmys, three Edward R. Murrow awards, seven Associated Press awards, the prestigious San Francisco Bay Area Photographer of the Year Award and more than 15 National Press Photographer Association awards.

The Binghamton University Forum is a membership organization comprised of business, professional and community leaders that brings nationally known authorities to speak at functions throughout the year. For more information, call the Forum office at (607) 777-4390.