The SNF Agora Institute at Johns Hopkins University will host a free screening of Leap of Faith on Tuesday, Oct. 14, at 6:30 p.m., at the SNF Parkway Theatre in Baltimore.
The event will include a short meet-and-greet and a post-film discussion with director Nicholas Ma, SNF Parkway Executive Director Nancy Proctor, and Kristen Cambell, a senior fellow with Philanthropy for Active Civic Engagement. Admission is free, though registration is required. Free popcorn and non-alcoholic beverage are available to the first 100 attendees.
Leap of Faith invites audiences to explore how conversation can bridge deep divides. At a time when public debate often collapses into noise, the film offers something quieter and more demanding: people choosing to stay in conversation even when their beliefs collide. Created by Ma, producer of the acclaimed Fred Rogers documentary Won't You Be My Neighbor?, the film follows 12 Christian leaders who gather for a series of retreats on faith, identity, and disagreement.
Ma says the question at the heart of the film—whether we can disagree and still see one another as part of the same community—first caught his attention because it seemed unanswerable.
"It's a question that feels impossible right now," he says. "That these pastors wanted to head straight for it was intriguing. Every time I thought I knew what would happen next, I was wrong. Perhaps that was the greatest lesson, that the world of possible outcomes is far larger than we allow ourselves to believe, especially when we are anxious or angry."
His insight into the value of uncertainty aligns with the mission of the SNF Agora Institute, which seeks to understand how dialogue and collective learning sustain democracy. Through its research and public programs, the institute explores how people with different viewpoints can build understanding.
Reflecting on how his craft shapes the film's tone, Ma says his approach to filmmaking mirrors the themes his subjects explore.
"We are so language-focused," he explains. "But film is not a words-based medium; it is a visual one. It allows us to endure silence and sense time in a way we cannot on the page. You cannot care for someone in pain quickly or repair relationships efficiently. You have to give those tasks the time they require."
The film's rhythm reflects that belief. Viewers see conversations that stretch and breathe, moments of tension followed by quiet recognition. In a culture that rewards speed and certainty, Leap of Faith slows down to show what it means to stay present
The next day, Ma will join journalist Isaac Saul and SNF Agora Institute faculty member Leah Wright Rigueur at the institute's Elijah E. Cummings Democracy and Freedom Festival for a session titled "Making Space for Dialogue and Disagreement in an Ideologically Diverse World." Their conversation will explore how art, media, and civic spaces can sustain disagreement while maintaining respect.
Both the film and the festival explore how democratic life depends on practice as much as principle. Each invites audiences to view dialogue as a shared act of understanding.
Looking ahead to the festival discussion, Ma say he hopes to uncover how shared values shape civic life.
"I think all our conversations about civics start from some shared values," he says. "Making those values explicit and exploring where disagreements get harder, where philosophy overrides logic or emotion, feels really important right now."
To reserve a seat for the upcoming Leap of Faith screening, visit the SNF Agora Institute website. Registration for the Elijah E. Cummings Democracy and Freedom Festival is full, though the waitlist is still open.
