When tragedy strikes, the immediate response is sadness, anger, depression, blame, self-recrimination, guilt. But often these emotions are also a catalyst for journeys beyond tragedy. The Hope Combo features two insightful films that chronicle individuals who have moved beyond grief.

Beyond Belief is a documentary about two ordinary women, Susan Retik and Patti Quigley, who both lose their husbands in the tragedy of September 11th. Rather than turn inward, grief compelled these women to make the courageous journey from their comfortable neighborhoods to the most desperate Afghan villages where they meet their counterparts half a world away. Forgiveness: Stories for Our Time focuses on four individuals who have lived through events so painful and horrific they are unimaginable to most of us. These are the stories of men and women as they absorb, cope with and attempt to move beyond brutal events in their lives.

In a world wracked by increasing violence and horror, The Hope Combo shows that there are other possibilities beyond blind revenge – and that in forgiving others we can set ourselves free.

• Visit the Beyond Belief film info page
• Visit the Forgiveness film info page