Nearly a decade ago when Aaron Johnson was mentoring a young man, he had the revelation that by introducing simple, platonic touch into his life, the two Black men were participating in an “un-Googleable” act.

“Listening is the first hug,” Johnson said. “That sentence is really a hundred paragraphs.”

That experience germinated the Chronically UnderTouched project, or CUT for short. A Southern California resident, Johnson found his way to the Whidbey Institute in Clinton earlier this year, where he held a retreat for Black men who experienced the transformative and healing power of touch. Scenes from his short documentary, “Dark and Tender,” were filmed during the workshop.

Next week, Johnson is returning to the Whidbey Institute for a special screening of “Dark and Tender.” The event begins at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 30. Though admission is free, donations to help support the filmmaker are accepted. To reserve a ticket, visit givebutter.com/whidbey.

Nia Martin, the communications manager for the Whidbey Institute, said the organization has more plans for related events open to the community that will be kicking off in 2025. The upcoming screening and film aligns with the Whidbey Institute’s mission as a home for transformational learning and commitment to equity and social justice.

Following the screening of the 18-minute film, there will be a Q&A with Johnson and a song circle. Music is an integral part of the movie, a connection as important as the handholding that occurred during the retreat.

Johnson is the founder of Holistic Resistance, an anti-racist consulting and workshop organization. While touring the West Coast with a training program and art installation, he discovered Whidbey Island.

In April, 10 men from all over the nation gathered for Black Men’s Village, which is the retreat Johnson led on South Whidbey. Some were from as near as Port Townsend, while others came from Oregon, Hawaii and Nevada. Though one Langley man did attend the retreat, he does not appear in the current iteration of the film. Johnson described them as a diverse group, with a participant as old as 77 and another as young as 24. Economic backgrounds varied, as did sexual orientation.

The film also includes scenes from a fundraiser held in Port Townsend which is where Color of Sound is based. Johnson collaborated with the nonprofit organization, which addresses challenges facing communities of color, to produce “Dark and Tender.” Viewers will also see clips from Johnson’s TED x UC Irvine Talk, “Why I Waited 12 Months for a Hug.”

As “Dark and Tender” takes its turn premiering at different locations around the Pacific Northwest, more footage will be captured at the screenings with the intention to extend the short film to a feature-length film. With any hope, more funding will follow and help secure interviews with scholarly sources and conduct studies on the positive impact of Black men receiving touch.

In its brief format, the film has caught the attention of major film festivals, with an official selection for Cannes Independent Shorts, among others.

“It’s been a really good reception,” Johnson said. “People are getting what we’re trying to offer to the world.”

In Johnson’s first official film, he aims to convey and normalize the gentleness of Black masculinity, erasing harmful archetypes and stereotypes of violence that exist in mainstream culture.

“Platonic touch is profound for every human being. But because of how American’s history is, platonic touch has been elusive and difficult for Black men,” he said, pointing to the prevalence of NFL highlight reels showing people of color knocking each other out.

The film challenges the black brute archetype with depictions of men being tender and vulnerable with each other, set against the sylvan backdrop of the Whidbey Institute.

“We’re not looking away from the history of racism and oppression that really benefits from us being violent and aggressive towards each other,” Johnson said.

He has even gone on to train others how to facilitate one-on-one or group gatherings featuring platonic touch with the Touch Activist Program.

For more information on the Chronically UnderTouched project or to participate, visit cutproject.org.

(Photo courtesy of Chronically UnderTouched Project) Two participants shared a hug.

(Photo courtesy of Chronically UnderTouched Project) During the retreat, men walked the labyrinth contemplatively at the Whidbey Institute.

(Photo courtesy of Chronically UnderTouched Project) “Dark and Tender” Director Aaron Johnson, right, led fellow Black men in exploring platonic touch during a retreat held earlier this year at the Whidbey Institute.