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Logline

Sophia Uehara, a mixed-race filmmaker and Unitarian Universalist, documents her congregation’s upheaval in adopting the 8th Principle, an anti-racist pledge. Interviewing various BIPOC UU leaders and activists across the United States, she explores the challenge of holding a mostly white religious community accountable to its ideals, exposing tensions between belief, allyship, and action.

Synopsis

The 8th Principle is a documentary that examines the struggle for racial justice within Unitarian Universalism (UU), a progressive faith rooted in democracy, equality, and social justice. While UU congregations have long championed causes like LGBTQIA+ rights and women’s rights, they have historically fallen short in addressing racism within their own communities.

In 2013, Dr. Paula Cole Jones and Bruce Pollack-Johnson proposed the 8th Principle, calling on UUs to actively dismantle racism and oppression. However, adopting this principle has proven divisive, exposing the challenges of turning progressive ideals into tangible action. The film follows filmmaker Sophia Uehara’s home congregation, Tapestry of South Orange County, as they navigate this process. Through archival footage, heated debates, and deeply personal interviews, the documentary captures the emotional and ideological divides that arise when a community confronts its own complicity in systemic racism.

Tapestry’s story is interwoven with the broader racial history of Unitarian Universalism, from the UU Black Caucus’s unmet demands in the late 1960s to recent controversies that exposed persistent white supremacy within the faith. The film expands beyond Tapestry to include national BIPOC UU leaders such as Dr. Paula Cole Jones, historian Mark D. Morrison Reed, and activist Michael Crumpler, highlighting the ongoing tensions between institutional shortcomings and grassroots anti-racism efforts.

As the U.S. faces increasing political polarization and threats to democracy, The 8th Principle asks urgent questions: Why do progressive spaces struggle to enact real change? How do we hold our communities accountable without fracturing them? And what does it truly mean to build a just and equitable future?
Through a deeply personal and unflinching lens, the film challenges audiences to move beyond intention and take action in the fight for racial justice.
 

Meet the Filmmakers

Sophia Uehara — Director
Sophia Uehara is a second-generation Japanese-American documentary director and production designer. With a career rooted in visual storytelling, Sophia brings a unique perspective to her work, drawing on her background in art direction to craft compelling narratives that explore identity, representation, and social change.

Raised by two classically trained visual artists, Sophia developed a fascination with the intersection of art, media, and education. As a production designer, she has designed award-winning features, commercials, and music videos including Our Son (dir. Bill Oliver), which premiered at the 2023 Tribeca Film Festival, and If I Die in America (dir. Ward Kamel), which debuted at SXSW 2024. Commercial clients like Google, Lexus, Starbucks, and AT&T have also entrusted her with visually shaping their campaigns. She completed her education at Tisch School of the Arts.

Sophia’s transition into documentary filmmaking builds on her extensive experience in visual storytelling, combining her keen eye for detail with her passion for amplifying underrepresented voices. Her work as a director is guided by a deep commitment to portraying marginalized communities with dignity and nuance, challenging stereotypes, and fostering deeper understanding. She believes in the transformative power of media to inspire empathy, shift cultural narratives, and spark meaningful dialogue.

Nicole Palermo — Producer
Nicole Palermo is a NY-based Producer and Production Manager in both the narrative and documentary worlds. In the documentary space, Nicole is most known for her work on the Five-Time Emmy Award winning film Jim Henson: Idea Man directed by Ron Howard. She recently Produced her first short documentary We No Longer Have to Choose directed by Kelly McKay about women returning to play recreational soccer after giving birth. The film premiered on November 20th on TOGETHXR to wide acclaim, and has since been featured on The GIST Sport Biz’s newsletters.

Additional documentary credits include Beatles ‘64 produced by Martin Scorsese for Disney+ (Line Producer, Interviews), Critics Choice Award Winner Music by John Williams on Disney+ (Post Production Coordinator), and Apple TV+’s The Super Models (Production Coordinator).

Upcoming projects include the Untitled Barbara Walters Project directed by Jackie Jesko for ABC News/Hulu (Production Manager), the Untitled AV Project directed by Ron Howard (Production Manager), and a new docuseries for Amazon (Post Production Coordinator).

Alexander Lu — Cinematographer
Alexander Lu is a Taiwanese American Cinematographer, 3D Artist, Illustrator and Animator based in Brooklyn, NY. Hailing from the Pacific Northwest, his deep appreciation for nature, and diasporic storytelling gives him a unique perspective when it comes to depicting interconnectivity. His previous work includes NYU textbook illustration and design The Mischief of Math, Polarized the graphic novel, and commercial work for BMW, Starbucks, ConAir, Foot Locker, BBC, and Mattel. He is a graduate of NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts.

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Contact

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