OFFICIAL COMPETITION - Local Sightings Film Festival | OFFICIAL COMPETITION - DOXA Documentary Film Festival | OFFICIAL COMPETITION - RIDM
Indigenous Studies • Sociology • Decolonial Studies • Educational Equity Date of Completion: 2019 | Run Time: 72 minutes | Language: English with French subtitles | Captions: Yes | Includes: Transcript | Director: Jadis Dumas | Producers: Jadis Dumas, Amy Miller, Svetla Turnin | Unavailable to Canada
What does it mean for a young person to take charge of their education? ANOTHER WORD FOR LEARNING follows Aisha, an exuberant and creative 11-year old, of Kwakwaka'wakw descent, who has always hated public school: the mean kids, the academic pressure, the lack of artistic space - and the racism. She has only one year left at her elementary school in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside, but she's had enough. Her dreams don't fit into the colonial curriculum, so she wants to leave school to pursue them. While most of her family and friends are worried about her, her mother Gunargie, a residential school survivor, sees this choice to “drop-out” as an opportunity for her and her daughter to reconnect with their culture - and with each other.
Educational Media Reviews Online | Giovanna Colosi, Librarian for the School of Education, Subject Instruction Lead, Syracuse University
"This film would be a useful addition to collections supporting coursework in Native American Studies or Indigenous Peoples as well as education programs looking at alternative educational models. It would also be suitable for younger audiences studying Native American cultures."
AWARDS
Best Cinematography | Dada Saheb Phalke Film Festival
Official Competition | Local Sightings Film Festival
Official Competition | DOXA Documentary Film Festival
Official Competition | Garifuna International Festival
Official Competition | RIDM