AUDIENCE CHOICE - Doclands Film Festival | BEST EDITING - United Nations Association Film Festival | "Ambitious...visceral" - KQED
Education & Educational Equity • Caregiving • Children, Youth & Families • Democracy & Social Movements • Economics, Labor & Poverty • Politics & Policy • Women, Gender & Sexuality Studies
Date of Completion: 2024 | Run Time: 89 minutes | Languages: English and Spanish with English subtitles | Captions: Yes | Includes: Transcript & Study Guide | Directors: Jen Bradwell & Todd Boekelheide | Producers: Jen Bradwell, Todd Boekelheide & Rebekah Fergusson
From an award-winning filmmaking team, MAKE A CIRCLE follows a group of child care providers who are determined to change how our society values the education of its youngest citizens. With a mix of humor, outrage, and passion, MAKE A CIRCLE captures the unfolding stories of Patricia, a leader of a new union for child care providers, as she fights on behalf of a largely immigrant workforce; Charlotte, another union member who tirelessly lifts up the low-income families in her care; and Anne, the director of a large preschool, who finds novel ways to value and support her teachers when jobs at McDonald's are offering higher pay. Within their stories are interludes that offer a cinematic window into the unique, imaginative world of the young children in their care. The film culminates as thousands of union members march on their state capitol demanding better working conditions, just as their contract is set to expire. Weaving together the magic they create in the classroom, the struggles they endure at home, and their tireless activism for their profession, MAKE A CIRCLE is a moving portrait of life as an early childhood educator and a promising blueprint for fixing our broken child care system.
University of Alabama | Alison Hooper, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Early Childhood Education
"The MAKE A CIRCLE film and discussion guide are powerful teaching tools to help illuminate key issues in early care and education and spark further discussion about advocacy and policy. I would recommend this for anyone teaching courses related to improving the well-being of young children, their families, and the educators who teach them."
Child Care Aware WA | Patricia Coss, Program Manager of Professional Development
“MAKE A CIRCLE is a powerful call to action that spotlights the unwavering dedication of early childhood professionals. This touching, transformational, and inspiring film invites us to honor their commitment and rally for meaningful change in early education.”
Diablo Valley College | Juan Huerta Villicana ECE Professor and Department Chair
“MAKE A CIRCLE is a thought-provoking and deeply human film that demands to be seen by students, faculty, and stakeholders. A topic that is as crucial as it is complex, this eye-opening documentary not only calls for greater appreciation for the work of childcare providers but also pushes for broader social and political change."
KQED | Michael Fox
"Ambitious…visceral…showcases the skills and struggles of [early educators]"
KALW | Angie Coiro
"A mosaic of love and frustration…90 minutes of sheer beauty…illuminating!"
AWARDS
Audience Choice | Doclands Film Festival
Best Editing | United Nations Association Film Festival
FILM FESTIVALS
Heartland Film Festival
Workers Unite Film Festival
Doctober Film Festival
Orlando Film Festival
Centre Film Festival