Wed, September 9, 2026
5:00 pm - 7:00 pm
WOSU
Join the Mershon Search Lab for a special screening of the award-winning documentary Por Cielo y Tierra (Through Heaven and Earth), followed by a conversation with Luz Janeth Forero MartÃnez, Director of Colombia's Search Unit for Missing Persons (UBPD), and members of the UBPD delegation.
Por Cielo y Tierra follows four Colombian families as they search for loved ones who disappeared during decades of armed conflict. Through their stories, the film reveals the enduring human consequences of disappearance and the extraordinary humanitarian effort to locate the missing, return them to their families, and restore dignity.
Following the screening, hear directly from the leaders of Colombia's UBPD, one of the world's leading humanitarian institutions dedicated to searching for people who disappeared during armed conflict. The panel will explore the challenges, innovations, and human dimensions of searching for the disappeared, and the vital role this work plays in memory, healing, and building a more peaceful future. A reception with the speakers will follow the program.