Michele Forman's career bridges storytelling, education, and social impact. The episode begins with her unique background as a Southern Jewish woman whose mother survived the Holocaust, shaping her perspective on documenting untold stories. Forman shares her transformative experience studying under Spike Lee at Harvard, which led to her role as director of development at his production company, 40 Acres and a Mule Filmworks. The conversation explores her work as associate producer on the Academy Award-nominated documentary 4 Little Girls, which chronicled the 1963 bombing of Birmingham's Sixteenth Street Baptist Church. This project ultimately drew her back to Birmingham, where she pioneered the region's film industry. Forman details her efforts in developing Alabama's film office, consulting on film incentive legislation, and co-founding the Sidewalk Film Festival. In the final segment, Forman discusses founding UAB's Media Studies program in 2003 and its impact on community storytelling. Through initiatives like the Ford Foundation's Difficult Dialogues project and the 99 Neighborhoods project, she demonstrates how documentary filmmaking can bridge divides and preserve local history. Her recent work includes environmental series Southern Exposure and projects highlighting transformative urban spaces like Birmingham's Railroad Park, showcasing her continued commitment to using media for community impact.