Maestra is a film about how the people of Cuba organized to teach citizens how to read in their quest for self-determination and liberation. Photo Credit: DPNR
The V.I. Department of Planning and Natural?Resources has announced that the Division of Libraries, Archives and Museums (DLAM) and Act Out Ensemble will feature their second program as part of their community engagement series addressing pertinent issues impacting the Virgin Islands.
The documentary screening, followed by story circles led by Act Out Ensemble, will be held on Wednesday, May 25th. Showtime starts at 5:30 pm at Fort Frederik Museum in Frederiksted.
Wednesday's program focuses on the theme of “Education in the Virgin Islands”. The 33-minute featured documentary is entitled “Maestra!” and is directed by Catherine Murphy, according to the release. Murphy, a San Francisco-based filmmaker, has spent much of the last twenty years working in the Caribbean and Latin America. Her film gives voice to 250,000 young volunteers that took part in a massive government-led literacy campaign in Cuba in 1961. Over 700,000 men and women learned how to read and write because of this campaign.
“This film is an inspiring example of how the people of Cuba organized to teach citizens how to read in their quest for self-determination and liberation,” said Monica Marin, DLAM curator.
Act Out Ensemble: Theatre of the Oppressed Virgin Islands was created and is led by artist/educator/activist Sayeeda Carter and other community organizers such as Lindsey Simmonds and Ariela Hayes.
“This will be our first segment addressing education, with a second part to be continued once school resumes. As a concerned citizenry, with conversations and films like this, we can begin to learn about what other?communities have done to create a stronger, more educated, more literate society,” stated Ms. Carter, Act Out Ensemble director.
The community is encouraged to participate in this free event. Food will be for sale by UCA’s Kitchen. For more information, email DLAM Territorial Chief Curator Monica Marin [email protected], or Act Out Ensemble Director Sayeeda Carter at [email protected]
Advertisements
