In collaboration with the Office of Resources for International and Area Studies (ORIAS) at UC Berkeley and 25 participating federally funded centers for area studies at universities across the country, DER launched an online film program for K-12 teachers in 2023 with the dual goals of introducing educators to the DER catalog and providing them with resources and tools to promote film literacy.
This project arose from the shared realization that for many, knowledge acquisition is primarily audiovisual, making film an excellent learning tool. However, as with a text, it is essential for analytical learning to understand underlying and external factors, such as the filmmaker’s positionality and motivations, as well as the socio-political and technical circumstances that influenced the filmmaker’s stylistic and technical choices. Thus the idea for a program to help teachers deconstruct the media was born.
The focus of each program is a regionally relevant film from the DER catalog selected by the area studies centers. With a catalog of over 850 titles spanning five decades from around the world, and as a leader in research-based films about everyday experiences and films highlighting underrepresented voices, DER is ideally positioned to offer a wide range of films. Films selected to date include My Rembetika Blues (2021), A Long Way Home (2018), Colours of the Alphabet (2016), and Padauk: Myanmar Spring (2021).
They are exemplary of the films in our catalog as they complicate systems, structures and practices that we take for granted, offering counter-narratives and challenge stereotypes and assumptions, as well as recording the often overlooked but important small daily routines and rituals, thus honoring and acknowledging the complexity of societies and human experiences.
The Study Guides
For each event we make the film available to participants in advance for online viewing. The first part of the live online event then usually consists of a discussion with the filmmaker(s), where teachers have the opportunity to ask questions about the filmmaker’s motivations, the process of making the film and any updates since the film’s release.
The second part of the events are often more practice-oriented: Educators workshop age-appropriate exercises that are suitable for the classroom and support learning about a different culture and from different perspectives. In past events, this has included identifying key themes and quotes from the film, as well as working with compare and contrast questions to help learners feel connected, and historical and cultural context questions to help them better understand the topic. The discussions that arise from these exercises are lively and thought-provoking. They aim to address larger questions about how films can be used for positive change, greater connectedness, empathy and support across cultures and borders.
This spring semester, DER is co-hosting the 5th and 6th editions of this series together with Middle Eastern Studies and Latin American Studies respectively. A total of 9 events are planned through 2026.
Are you interested in participating in or coordinating an event for your learning community? For more information reach out to our Program, Collections & Outreach Lead Alice Reiner:
The study guides created by the regional study centers for each event are now available under “Study Guides” in the RESOURCES section of our website, adding to our extensive list of existing study guides (65+).
