>> Eric: CONTINUING OUR QUEST TO FIND SOLUTIONS AND HOPE IN THE CURRENT POLITICAL ENVIRONMENT, THERE'S A NEW FILM PREMIERING THIS WEEKEND ON AMAZON PRIME CALLED 'THE CASE FOR KINDNESS.'

POLITICAL REPORTER MARY LAHAMMER HAS A LOCAL CONNECTION TO THIS GLOBAL PROJECT.

>> I MEAN, IF YOU LOOK FOR IT, YOU'LL PROBABLY FIND SOME SOMETHING KIND INSIDE OF EVERYBODY.

>> WHAT EXACTLY IS KINDNESS AGAIN?

>> PBS HAS LONG TRIED TO MODEL KINDNESS, AND NOW SO IS A FIL FILMMAKER WITH CONNECTIONS TO MINNESOTA.

>> SPECIFICALLY TARKEY WHERE WE ARE NOW.

>> MY MOTHER AND STEPFATHER -- FOUNDATION AND THAT'S JUST KIND OF WHAT I GREW UP DOING AND HELPING PEOPLE HEAR AROUND THE WORLD.

>> I'VE BEEN TRAYING THE WORLD AS A FILMMAKER FOR 20 YEARS.

>> THE CASE IS A PROJECT THAT CAN PROVIDE HOPE.

>> I THINK FOR MINNESOTANS, THIS CAN BE PARTICULARLY -- WITH WHAT WE'VE BEEN THROUGH WITH THE POLITICAL ASSASSINATION AND SCHOOL SHOOTING.

>> YOU KNOW, I THINK COMMON THEMES WE HAVE IN THE FILM IS MOMENTS PEOPLE FIND PURPOSE.

YOU KNOW, AND SCARLET LEWIS WHO -- SANDY HOOK.

>> SOMETIME SHORTLY BEFORE HE DIED.

I COULDN'T BELIEVE IT.

I STOPPED IN MY TRACKS.

AND I KNEW INSTANTLY THAT IF THE SHOOTER HAD BEEN ABLE TO GIVE AND RECEIVE -- NURTURING -- RIGHT THERE.

>> AFTER WE SUFFERED THROUGH A SCHOOL SHOOTING I THINK OUR COMMUNITY REALLY NEEDS SOME SOLUTIONS.

I'M WONDERING WHAT YOU PROVIDE US.

>> WELL, THANK YOU, MARY.

AND I'M SO SORRY FOR WHAT YOUR COMMUNITY WENT THROUGH.

WHEN SOMETHING LIKE THAT HAPPENS -- >> THIS IS JESSE'S CLASS PICTURE.

AND INCREDIBLE TO THINK HALF OF THOSE KIDS ARE GOING TO BE MURDERED.

>> CHOOSE KINDNESS FOR THE PERSON WHO TOOK YOUR SON'S LIFE.

THAT IS NOT AN EASY SOLUTION.

WHY WAS IT THE BEST SOLUTION FOR YOU?

>> WELL, I THINK YOU NEED TO UNPACK INDNESS JUST A LITTLE BIT AND HE CHOOSE LOVE MOVEMENT HAS A FORMULA THAT WE ACTUALLY TEACH IN SCHOOLS ALL OVER THE WORLD FROM REAL LITTLES, EVEN DAYCARES TO 12 GRADE, HOMES, COMMUNITIES, AND THAT STARTS WITH COURAGE.

>> IT'S EASY TO VILIFY A SHOOTER IN YOUR SON'S SITUATION, IN THE MINNESOTA SCHOOL SHOOTING.

THE HARDER CHOICE, THE MORE COMPLICATED CHOICE IS THIS -- KIND OF UNDERSTANDING OF THE HURT PERSON WHO HURT PEOPLE.

>> THAT IS MY GOAL IS TO KIND OF SHIFT OUR PERCEPTION OF THESE PEOPLE FROM GOOD AND BAD.

THEY WEREN'T BORN SCHOOL SHOOTERS, THEY WEREN'T BORN MASS MURDERERS.

IF WE COULD IDENTIFY THAT BEFOREHAND AND ADDRESS THOSE NEEDS AND ADDRESS THE PAIN AND GIVE THEM -- LIFE SKILLS THEY NEED TO GROW AND TO LEARN FROM, GROW THROUGH AND BE STRENGTHENED BY THAT PAIN, THEY WOULD NEVER GET TO THE POINT WHERE THEY ARE SO HOPELESS THAT THEY WANT TO RELEASE PAIN ONTO SO MANY OTHER PEOPLE.

>> WHAT SPECIFIC RECOMMENDATION WOULD YOU HAVE FOR MINNESOTA LAWMAKERS?

WE'RE KIND OF HEARING THE USUAL IT'S GUN CONTROL AND IT'S MORE MENTAL HEALTH.

IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU THINK THERE'S SOMETHING FAR MORE EFFECTIVE IN THERE.

>> THEY'RE RIGHT, THE PROBLEM IS GUN VIOLENCE AND THE LACK OF MENTAL HEALTH, ABSOLUTELY THEY'RE RIGHT.

THIS POLITICAL RHETORIC THAT'S GOING ON AND THE FIGHTING BETWEEN THE TWO PARTIES WHILE OUR CHILDREN ARE SUFFERING AND DYING -- HAVE TO START LOOKING -- -- SORT OF THING THAT LEADS TO THESE HEINOUS ACTS.

>> LOVE, KINDNESS IS A CHOICE IN EVERY SITUATION.

>> WHAT RESPONSIBILITY AS STORYTELLERS DO WE HAVE?

>> FOR ME AS A TORYTELLER I WANT TO BE HONEST.

I DIDN'T NOW A LOT ABOUT KINDNESS BUT -- A KIND ACT, YOU RELEASE OXYTOCIN AND WHILE YOU'RE VIEWING A KIND ACT YOU GET THE SAME BENEFITS AS IF YOU WERE DOING IT.

>> I DON'T WANT NO ONE TO BE HURT, DON'T HURT THEM NO MORE.

I LOVE YOU, MAN.

>> THANK YOU, MAN.

>> I ENJOY THE DISCUSSION WITH PEOPLE, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT WE -- EACH OTHER AS PEOPLE.

>> MINNESOTA IS WHERE GEORGE FLOYD WAS MURDERED, WHERE AN INTERNATIONAL RACIAL RECKONING HAPPENED.

>> FOR ME IT'S LOOKING AT A LOT OF THE ISSUES BASED HERE IN THE U.S. AND ONE OF THOSE HAPPENS TO BE RACIAL INJUSTICE.

AND BULLYING AND HATE.

AND IN POLITICS -- ARE SO POLAR OPPOSITES AND -- WILLING TO GET PAST THAT.

AND I DON'T THINK IT'S EVER BEEN LIKE THAT BEFORE.

>> IT HASN'T AND -- BECOMING INCREASINGLY DIFFICULT.

>> TALK ABOUT LUIS MIRANDA AND WHAT HE AS A POLITICAL STRATEGIST SAYS ABOUT THE HATE AND DIVISIVENESS IN POLITICS.

>> WHEN IS THE LAST TIME YOU CHANGED -- -- COMMONALITY OF WHAT YOU FIND.

AND A LOT OF IT'S FOUND IN MUSIC.

AND GARTH TALKS ABOUT WHEN HE'S AT A CONCERT HE DOESN'T SEE RED OR BLUE, HE SEES PURPLE.

>> THE SOLUTIONS ARE NOT IN OUR DIFFERENCES BUT IN OUR COMMONALITIES.

>> DO YOU -- THIS OPTIMISTIC?

>> YEAH, I DO, ACTUALLY.

-- ABLE TO MEET A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO WENT THROUGH REALLY DARK THINGS.

YOU KNOW, MOMENTS IN THEIR LIFE.

THEIR TRAGEDY TURNED INTO A PURPOSE.

YOU KNOW, IF ANYTHING, I CAME AWAY WITH THIS NDERSTANDING THAT WE NEED COMMUNITY AND WE NEED PEOPLE TO BE TOGETHER.

AND THAT'S HOW WE'LL MOVE FORWARD.

>> WHAT WILL DETERMINE THE FATE OF HUMANITY?

TO ME, THE ANSWER IS OBVIOUS.

KINDNESS.