This past weekend, I went to the closing night of the Cleveland International Film Festival.
The festival, a 12-day event, annually brings hundreds of films to Cleveland theaters, and, as a former film major, is one of my favorite activities to attend.
On Sunday, I saw Batkid Begins: The Wish Heard Around the World, a documentary about the overwhelming support 5-year-old Miles Scott received for his Make-A-Wish request.
Scott, who is now in remission, became an international icon Nov. 15, 2013, when the city of San Francisco transformed into Gotham City, allowing the cancer survivor to fulfill his wish of being Batkid, Batman’s sidekick.
The film, while it chronicled Scott’s wish, also highlighted the outpouring of support from the local community, the country and even the world.
After initially planning for a few hundred people to line the streets of San Francisco, Make-A-Wish instead saw more than 10,000 people appear to cheer on Batkid.
In the film, police officers marvel at how orderly and friendly the crowd was.
Scott’s story is one of camaraderie, of compassion, of community.
For that little boy, people came together; they showed the best side of themselves. They rallied in person, online and in conversation.
It was a good moment.
