Each of the films in this series will focus on the experiences of women and girls around the world, with special emphasis on films made by women. In addition to the film screenings listed below, we will also be sending many accomplished women filmmakers to visit schools, meet with students and serve as key role models for young girls interested in both business and creative careers.

Teachers are encouraged to utilize the study guides for each film and to prepare their students prior to each screening. All of our programs are designed to be interactive experiences rather than passive viewings, so students are expected to come prepared to ask questions of filmmakers and special guests and to participate in post-film discussions and Q&As.

Past Events in the Series

China Film Day: From Cultural Revolution to Economic Revolution
October 3, de Young Museum, San Francisco
Presented in partnership with the de Young Museum, The Marin School and Urban High School.

9:30 am
The Monkey Kid
China 1995, 95 min
In Mandarin with English subtitles
The morning session featured Xiao-Yen Wang’s autobiographical 1995 Mandarin-language film The Monkey Kid, about a nine-year-old girl in Beijing during the Cultural Revolution. More than 200 students watched the film and participated in a Q&A with the writer-director, who discussed her own experiences growing up in China in the ’70s and how those stories became the basis for her film. Grades 5-12.

12:15 pm
China Blue
USA/China 2005, 87 min
The afternoon session featured a screening of Micha Peled’s eye-opening documentary, China Blue, a rare look inside a blue jeans factory in present-day Guangdong, where hundreds of teenage girls work long hours and make slave wages in order to make products for the rest of the world. In a lively and thought-provoking Q&A, Peled talked about his clandestine methods for shooting inside a Chinese factory and the risks he took to bring this story to the screen. He also urged the students to think about how they felt about what they saw on screen and how they could make an impact with their own filmmaking. Grades 7-12.

The film students from the Marin and Urban School were integral in the planning and implementation of the day’s events, including serving as moderators for the Q&A sessions and preceding each feature film with a selection of short films produced in their classes.

Global Lens
November 6–7, de Young Museum, San Francisco
Presented in partnership with the Global Film Initiative and the de Young Museum.

10:00 am, November 6
Enough! (Barakat!)
Algeria/France 2006, 94 min
In French and Arabic with English subtitles
About 120 high school students viewed this Algerian film set in war–torn Algeria in the’90s, which follows two women on a dangerous search for the younger woman's husband, a journalist whose writings resulted in his disappearance. Ignoring curfews and the constant threat of ambush by armed militias, the two women challenge the men they encounter to accept them and help them with their search. Their journey leads them across the picturesque landscapes of Algeria, to a deeper understanding of how their lives were shaped by their country's history.After the film, the students engaged in a discussion with SFSU Cinema Studies professor Laurence Mazouni, who is also French/Algerian, about the structure of the film and the ways in which it represented the experiences of women. Grades 9-12.

10:00 am, November 7
Another Man's Garden (O jardim do outro homem)
Mozambique/Portugal/France 2006, 80 min
In Portuguese with English subtitles
The next day, 75 high school students had the unique opportunity to watch this Mozambican film about a young girl who dreams of being a doctor amidst obstacles that extend far beyond the distractions of her boyfriend and her family. A moment of weakness or an error in judgment can cost her a place at the university, an irretrievable loss in a country with so few opportunities for women. Filmmaker João Sol de Carvalho dedicates the film to the courage of young women who continue to strive against the odds, proving that educating a girl is not a waste of time in a land where it is perceived that “sending a girl to school is like watering another man's garden.” The screening was followed by an interactive discussion and presentation by Alice Yelbert-Obeng from The Global Fund for Women’s Africa Program. Grades 11-12.

Programs currently in development
Please check back for schedule updates and announcements. Announcements for open school screenings will also be emailed to all educators on our mailing list. If you would like to be added to the mailing list, please contact Keith Zwolfer at kzwolfer@sffs.org.

Whale Rider
New Zealand/Germany 2002, 105 min
Niki Caro’s Oscar-nominated film tells the story of an 11-year-old girl (Keisha Castle-Hughes) in a patriarchal New Zealand tribe who believes she is destined to be the new chief. Invited guest: Linda Goldstein-Knowlton, producer. Grades 5-8.

Runners High
USA 2006, 88 min
This inspiring documentary follows a season of training and triumph for Students Run Oakland, a nonprofit organization training at-risk East Oakland youth for the Los Angeles marathon. Invited guest: Justine Jacob, codirector. Grades 6-12.

Heart of the Sea: Kapolioka’ehukai
USA 2002, 57 min
Surfing pioneer Rell Sunn was also a skilled deep-sea diver, canoe paddler and hula dancer who became a community leader and activist for breast cancer awareness during her own14-year battle with the disease. An icon in her home town of Makaha—known for drug abuse, high teen pregnancy and school dropout rates—Sunn empowered local youth by starting a children’s surfing competition. She was a remarkable role model not only because of her skills and her leadership but because of her contagious passion for life. Invited guest: Charlotte Lagarde, co-director. Grades 5-12.

Girls Rock!
USA 2007, 90 min
Girls Rock! follows the journey of four 8–18-year-olds as they are transformed by the liberating powers of music at the Rock ’n’ Roll Camp for Girls. Given the opportunity to bash the drums, wail like a banshee and take up space, the girls jettison gender stereotypes like old hats on their way to a joyous final concert that will change their lives forever. Invited guests: Arne Johnson and Shane King, co-directors. With possible guest performance. Grades 6-12. (See also Music As Inspiration series)

Phoenix Dance
USA 2005, 17 min
Dancer Homer Avila loses a leg to cancer and discovers the limitations and capacities of his body when Alonzo King choreographs a pas de deux for him. Invited guest: Karina Epperlein, director. Grades 6-12.