Six short films have just gone live on TrueTube, each telling the story of a different person from the London Borough of Haringey . They are the result of a project set up by TrueTube with VividEcho and Haringey Council which helped Young Offenders from the borough reflect on the stories of local people who either came to Britain as immigrants, or who are from immigrant families. The young people were trained in filming and editing and have successfully produced artistic, thought-provoking content. People’s Day will be celebrated by Haringey Council for the first time in June, and these films will be shown as part of the celebration. The focus of all these films is to explore and celebrate the diversity and achievements amongst the community. Six characters are presented in this series, all of whom explain how they stepped out of their own culture and into a completely different world. Some have faced prejudice in their past, ranging from a woman who tells the story of living as a young Jew under Nazi rule, to an ex-soldier who is keen to dismiss the violent stereotype of the army. Other characters do not have a story entailing discrimination, but one of salutation; such as Gerassimos and Neville who explain how they embraced the British culture when they arrived from completely different surroundings and are proud of their personal achievements whilst living here.
I find the most moving character to be Joan, who may appear to be an ordinary lady on the streets of London, but she does in fact have an extraordinary story. Joan was born in Brussels in 1940 to Jewish parents who faced the hatred and intolerance of the Nazis when the German army invaded Belgium. In the hope that her daughters would lead a better life, Joan’s mother sent her children away from danger to America to be fostered. Being so young at the time, Joan explains through heart breaking words, that she lost touch with her past and only understood the sacrifice and hardship involved once she was older and re-joined her parents in England. Joan says that one of her biggest achievements was putting one foot in front of the other, which certainly reflects the suffering rooted in this woman’s journey. After picking up her education later in life and having raised a family, putting one foot in front of the other proved to be the start of a happier life. You'll find the Joan's story linked below. These six clips are a perfect source of inspiration in Citizenship or RE lessons, and are bound to spark off stimulating discussion. They cover themes of bravery, acceptance, dedication and achievement and all of them are inspiring. Walking down the street and passing hundreds of people every day, we can become detached from the crowd. Films like this make us remember that the blur of anonymous faces are individuals in their own right, each with their own unique story to tell.
I find the most moving character to be Joan, who may appear to be an ordinary lady on the streets of London, but she does in fact have an extraordinary story. Joan was born in Brussels in 1940 to Jewish parents who faced the hatred and intolerance of the Nazis when the German army invaded Belgium. In the hope that her daughters would lead a better life, Joan’s mother sent her children away from danger to America to be fostered. Being so young at the time, Joan explains through heart breaking words, that she lost touch with her past and only understood the sacrifice and hardship involved once she was older and re-joined her parents in England. Joan says that one of her biggest achievements was putting one foot in front of the other, which certainly reflects the suffering rooted in this woman’s journey. After picking up her education later in life and having raised a family, putting one foot in front of the other proved to be the start of a happier life. You'll find the Joan's story linked below. These six clips are a perfect source of inspiration in Citizenship or RE lessons, and are bound to spark off stimulating discussion. They cover themes of bravery, acceptance, dedication and achievement and all of them are inspiring. Walking down the street and passing hundreds of people every day, we can become detached from the crowd. Films like this make us remember that the blur of anonymous faces are individuals in their own right, each with their own unique story to tell.