The Global Film Initiative was created to promote cross-cultural understanding through the medium of cinema. Although American film continues to thrive in the global marketplace, developing world filmmaking has suffered from shifting economic conditions in film financing and distribution. As a result, audiences in the United States have been denied the rich cultural lessons these films have to offer.

The Initiative has developed four complementary programs, all involving film from the developing world, to address this situation:

• Granting
• Acquisitions
• Distribution
• Education

For more information regarding our Education Program, visit the Frequently Asked Questions section for Education.

In her “Statement on International Education Week 2005,” U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings challenges us to “understand what motivates those whose cultures and traditions are not our own. To achieve these goals,” she says, “We must teach our children international education skills, which include the learning of other languages, cultures and traditions.”

The challenge to “understand what motivates those whose cultures and traditions are not our own” extends beyond the reach of geography, history, social studies and languages. Understanding “what motivates” people requires that we see the world through their eyes, by sharing their daily experience. What matters most to people in China, or Africa, or the Middle East? How do they resolve conflicts? How do they deal with suffering and loss? One of the most successful means of gaining this important dimension is through narrative feature film.

The Education Program of The Global Film Initiative presents full-length feature films from around the world, in specially-designed programs that encourage students to gain a deeper understanding of different cultural points of view. From the opening scenes of these films, students are transported to the outskirts of Cape Town, the turbulent heart of Tehran and the hauntingly beautiful beaches of Andaman & Nicobar, just after the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. Within their cultural contexts, this year’s films investigate universal and unique themes:

• Masquerades (Algeria) A young bride is caught in an unusual love-triangle that pits her dreams of a storybook wedding against the absurd wishes of her family.
• My Tehran for Sale (Iran) Amidst personal angst and political unrest, a poet tries to break free of her conservative surroundings and leave the only home she’s ever known.
• Ocean of an Old Man (India) An elderly schoolteacher, obsessed with the loss of his students to a natural disaster, struggles to cope with his loss and loneliness.
• Shirley Adams (South Africa) A resilient single mother strives to create a better life after her teenage son falls victim to gang violence, and loses his ability to walk.

The Lesson Plans and Discussion Guides that accompany most films provide standards-based, structured learning that supports core programs in the high school curriculum.

Lesson Plans are:

Performance–based assessment tools that encourage and develop reading, writing, presentation and team collaboration skills. Assessment parameters are specified in the Lesson Plan package.
• Structured on the project-based learning (PBL) model, with warm-up, film screening and post-screening activities driven by the “essential question” in the title.
• Designed to meet the state curriculum and national program standards listed in the package.

Discussion Guides are:

• Comprehensive background resources for the films, including information about the geography, history and cultural setting, the filmmaker’s statement and biography, and a guide to filmmaking techniques.
• Post–screening resources for teachers, providing structured, theme–based discussion questions to encourage deeper understanding of the characters, stories and cultural context of the films.
• Designed to meet national program standards listed in the package.

Lesson Plans and Discussion Guides are available for download on this website, in .pdf format. Additional resources available for download:

• Presenter’s Guides for each film, with film highlights and talking points about the cultural context.
• Fact Sheets for each film, similar to the Presenter’s Guides but with more information about the filmmaker, where the film has been screened and awards received.
• Curriculum Maps to support the Project Arts and Social Studies Programs of the New York City Department of Education. These curriculum maps suggest post–screening activities that are aligned with NYCDOE Standards, Key Ideas and Benchmarks.
• Subtitle Lists that correspond to the subtitles shown on the screen. Subtitle Lists can be valuable for post–screening activities that focus on the details of particular scenes or character development.

If you would like to download any of our educational materials (Teaching Guides, Discussion Guides, Subtitles, Presenter Guides) click here to log-in.