Dream Touch Believe - Film Screening & Q+A

The film tells the story of Michael Naranjo, an Indigenous sculptor who lost his sight and the use of his right hand in the Vietnam War.
About this Event

The Center for Creativity will be among the first venues to screen the feature-length documentary Dream Touch Believe on Monday, September 28 at 5:30 pm.

The film tells the remarkable story of Michael Naranjo, an Indigenous sculptor who lost his sight and the use of his right hand in the Vietnam War. Despite these injuries, Michael went on to become a celebrated artist whose work can be found in the Vatican, the White House, the Heard Museum, and public and private collections around the world.

The film follows Michael’s life from growing up on the Santa Clara Pueblo, speaking Tewa and watching his mother sculpt pottery, to the Vatican, where he erected scaffolding so that he could touch Michelangelo’s David, to the floor of the Oval Office, where he once crawled on his hands and knees alongside President Nixon. It’s an extraordinary story about art, culture, and resilience.

The evening will include a virtual Q+A with Michael Naranjo and the film’s director, Jenna Naranjo Winters – who is also Michael’s daughter. Light refreshments will be served.

The film is closed-captioned, and guests who are blind or have low vision can access an audio-described version of the film using the All4Access app. Guests are asked to download the free app onto their device and bring their own headphones to the screening.

Michael Naranjo's sculpture from the 2025 Please Touch the Art exhibition.