• Home
  • Our Shop
  • About Us
    • About MKB
    • Our Shop
    • MKB Board
    • Editorial Board and MKB Administrators
    • Our Contributors
    • For Bloggers: Join MKB
    • Books and Products from Our Members
    • Cultural Resources
    • Contact Us
  • Product Promotion Services
  • Blog Hops & Series
    • Holidays Around the World
      • Martin Luther King Day
      • Chinese New Year
      • Purim
      • Passover
      • Easter Around the World
      • Ramadan
      • Hajj (Eid al Adha)
      • Rosh Hashanah
      • Day of the Dead
      • Diwali
      • Hanukkah
      • Christmas in Different Lands
    • Heritage Months
      • Black History Month
      • Women’s History Month
      • Asian-Pacific Islander Heritage Month
      • Middle Eastern and North African Heritage Month
      • Hispanic Heritage Month
      • Native American Heritage Month
    • Blogging Carnivals
    • Creative Kids Culture Blog Hop
    • Global Learning for Kids
  • Resources for Raising Global Citizens
  • Privacy Policy

Multicultural Kid Blogs

For families and educators raising world citizens, through arts, activities, crafts, food, language, and love.

Global Learning Through Film

March 29, 2021 by Jennifer Fischer

Facebooktwitterredditpinterestlinkedinmailby feather

We live in a global world which means we need powerful connection points. Without a doubt, compelling media offers one such opportunity. Moreover, children across the world can easily connect to others through film.

Global Learning Through Film, Multicultural Kid Blogs

As a filmmaker and teaching artist, I often use film with my own children and with students. Certainly, an engaging film pulls viewers into the world of another. Additionally, film builds empathy and exposes viewers to experiences and places they are unable to visit.

Journeys in Film is an organization committed to empathy, inclusion and culturally responsive teaching through film. Their resource library features FREE curricula and discussion guides for a wide array of films. Furthermore, many of these films take children around the world as they step inside the experiences of other children. Here are some of my favorites.

Films to Explore the World

African Films

  • Beat the Drum Young Musa lives in KwaZulu Natal, South Africa and is orphaned at the hands of HIV/AIDS. To help his grandmother, Musa sets out for Johannesburg with his father’s last gift, a tribal drum. The journey tests his spirit as he seeks community.
  • Queen of Katwe, This true story takes viewers to Uganda to follow Phiona Mutesi’s unexpected rise as an international chess star. Mira Nair is the director, and Lupita Nyong’o plays Phiona.
  • The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind This film tells the inspiring story of William Kamkwamba, a Malawian boy. Against all odds, William finds an unexpected way to help his village as it faces severe drought and starvation. The film was inspired by a memoir of the same name.

Asian Films

  • The Cup This film highlights a true story about Tibetan monks living in a Buddhist monastery in the Himalayan foothills. The story centers on a 14 year-old’s recent arrival. A soccer enthusiast, the teen is determined to see the finals of the World Cup. His attempt to rent a TV set for the monastery becomes a test of solidarity, resourcefulness, and friendship.
  • He Named Me Malala Inspired by the book I Am Malala by Malala Yousafzai, this film explores the events leading up to the Taliban’s attack on her. Malala, a Pakistani schoolgirl, insisted on her right to schooling. She also bravely spoke out about the value and importance of girls’ education.
  • Please Vote For Me Democracy exists in this primary school in Wuhan, China, where a grade 3 class gets to vote on who will be class monitor.
  • The Way Home A seven-year-old South Korean boy, accustomed to the comforts and conveniences of modern Seoul, is left temporarily with his grandmother in a traditional village. Their relationship unfolds in this beautiful film. 

Middle Eastern Films

  • Children of Heaven Set in Iran, nine-year-old Ali accidentally loses his sister Zahra’s only pair of shoes. The children know their parents cannot afford new ones, so they embark on a quest to find new ones themselves.
  • Wadjda Wadjda offers something too rare in the traditional media landscape: a thoughtful look at a girl’s life in Riyadh, Saudia Arabia. The Guardian named it one of the 10 Best Films of 2013.

Oceanian Film

  • Whale Rider This film follows the story of a Maori girl intent on fulfilling her destiny, despite challenges from her family. 

I love all the films on this list. However, one of my favorites is Wadjda, which is available on Netflix.

Global Learning Through Film with Wadjda
Image courtesy of Sony Pictures Classic

Wadjda

Too often, the Middle East is underrepresented in the international media landscape. This is especially true in the United States. Additionally, representations often focus on damaging stereotypes. Wadjda counters that. It is a funny, romantic drama about a 10-year-old girl’s simple quest to buy a bike so she can race against a friend. The film’s director, Haifaa Al-Mansou, is the first woman director of Saudi Arabia. The Journeys In Film curriculum for Wadjda includes a lesson focused on Haifaa Al-Mansou. As youth learn about Haifaa, they will certainly find inspiration. Like the film, Haifaa’s is a story that highlights the value of pursuing one’s dreams, even against challenging odds.

Media Literacy

Many films in the Journeys In Film library are based on memoirs or novels. This offers additional opportunities for learning and exploration. For example, my 11 year-old watched the film The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind. Then, he read the book that inspired the film. After that, he researched William Kamkwamba’s real life. Finally, we explored the similarities and differences between these three media representations of William’s experience. 

Through film, the expanded curricula, and the discussion guides that Journeys provides, youth can increase their understanding of various cultures and places around the world. Additionally, films can improve media literacy and facilitate an appreciation for storytelling. These are invaluable qualities in a world full of both media saturation and global connection. 

Please share your favorite media resources to explore global learning.

Related Posts

Animating Kindness: Building Global Connections Through Stop-Motion Animation with Kids

Multicultural Music and Media – Our Experience with Home-Schooling

The Benefits of Virtual Drama for Multicultural Kids

Facebooktwitterredditpinterestlinkedinmailby feather
The following two tabs change content below.
  • Bio
  • Latest Posts

Jennifer Fischer

Jennifer is a mom of two, as well as an independent filmmaker who has taught filmmaking to youth, most notably with her Spotlight On Hope Film Camp, a free film camp for Pediatric Cancer patients. She writes about her experiences with her sons, Wild Thing (5) and Caterpillar (3), at The Good Long Road with an emphasis on mindfulness, imagination, and creative activities related to the boys' favorite children’s books.

Latest posts by Jennifer Fischer (see all)

  • Family Movies for Black History Month - February 20, 2023
  • Connecting Students Through Global Learning - October 18, 2021
  • Books for International Day of Peace - September 20, 2021

Filed Under: Asia, Australia and Oceania, Buddhism, Central America and the Caribbean, China, Global Learning for Kids, Islam, Malawi, North Africa and the Middle East, Peru, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South America, Teaching Diversity, Teaching Global Citizenship Tagged With: diverse children's books, Film Production, Media Literacy, movies, multicultural education, multicultural media, teaching diversity

Subscribe to our mailing list

* indicates required

Follow Us!

Follow Us on FacebookFollow Us on Google+Follow Us on TwitterFollow Us on PinterestFollow Us on RSSFollow Us on Instagram

Anti-Bullying Resource FREE Download

Enter your email address:

Delivered by FeedBurner

Grab Our Button!

grab button for Multicultural Kid Blogs
<div class="multicultural-kid-blogs-button" style="width: 200px; margin: 0 auto;"> <a href="https://multiculturalkidblogs.com/" rel="nofollow"> <img src="https://multiculturalkidblogs.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/button-take-3.jpg" alt="Multicultural Kid Blogs" width="200" height="200" /> </a> </div>
Multicultural Children's Book Day Co-Host

Archives

Copyright © 2023 · Lifestyle Pro Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish.Accept Read More
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Non-necessary
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
SAVE & ACCEPT