Documentary filmmaker Chris Temple spoke with the upper and middle schools on Thursday, March 11 about his two films, Living on One Dollar and Salam Neighbor, and his non-profit organization Living On One. From working as a radish farmer and surviving on $1 a day in Guatemala and living in a tent in a Syrian refugee camp, Chris has been on the front lines fighting for human rights. His work has shifted policy and raised over $90 million dollars for poverty alleviation and refugee support efforts.

Chris shared photos and video clips of his time in Syria, shedding light on refugee law and what happens to people who are displaced. He also shared stories about the making of Living on One Dollar, and how he and his two friends discovered the impact of storytelling to help families escape poverty and become educated. He was able to sit with small groups of students, answer questions and discuss common misconceptions about the Middle East and about poverty. Using this lens, Chris advocates for human rights across the globe and shared his passion with students.

Most recently, Chris collaborated with the UN Refugee Agency and Google to create Searching for Syria, an immersive online hub that answers the world’s top searched questions about Syria. The project was featured on the homepage of Google, received over 25 million views, and won a 2018 Webby Award for the internet’s “Best Use of Photography.”

The films were distributed globally by Netflix and Amazon, and his work has been featured in The New York Times, Variety, and The Atlantic. He’s been honored with the 2016 Muslim Public Affairs Council Annual Media Award, recognized alongside Bill Gates and Angelina Jolie as one of the top 100 visionary leaders of 2015 by YPO’s Real Leaders Magazine, and accepted by the U.S. State Department into the American Film Showcase.