When I was a fellowship student in France, my greatest pleasure was Wednesday evenings when the Faculté des Lettres turned out its lights and became a ciné club.
From the projector's magic lantern came images from filmmakers like Truffaut, Fellini, Bergman, Man Ray and Kurosawa, and I was transposed to worlds far beyond my imagination. For the first time, my mind opened to foreign cultures, which stimulated me to learn beyond my limits. Upon returning to the United States, I promised myself that I would try one day to recreate the same experience for other students. What better theater could exist than the Dag Hammarskjold Library (DHL) Auditorium at UN Headquarters? And what better classroom could there be than the United Nations, where "the world" is part of its daily activities?
As a volunteer for the Hospitality Committee at the UN, I started to explore if my dream of introducing foreign countries to students by using film as a medium could be turned into reality. The path was daunting, but I refused to allow it to be insurmountable. First, I had to explore the DHL Auditorium, which was in the process of being upgraded technically. I joined their fund-raising campaign and helped the President of the Film Society secure contributions for modernizing the theater and acquiring lenses for a 35-mm projector.
The next piece of the puzzle was to ensure the cooperation of the New York City Board of Education to sanction their students to participate in the programme. Chancellor Joel Klein and others all pledged their support. I was making progress.
Next and the most crucial was receiving approval from the United Nations. The UN Department of Public Information (DPI) supported the community outreach, and each month opens its doors to 175 students from the City's public high schools. United Nations guides tailor-made their tours so that students could understand the goals of peace and freedom. So eager to learn, they are the future citizens and leaders of our country.
The Permanent Missions to the United Nations have enthusiastically agreed to show a film from their country. Each month, one of them hosts an event, introducing films and answering questions in a manner reminiscent of my student days at the ciné club.
We are now in our second year and continue to have UN Member States participate in our programme. We've had very special films this year that have sparked exciting discussions: "Beyond Silence" (Germany), "Journey of Hope" (Switzerland), "Central Station" (Brazil), "Beijing Bicycle" (China), "Cinema Paradiso" (Italy), "The Circle" (Iran), "Dreams" (Japan), "My Life as a Dog" (Sweden) and "Osama" (Afghanistan).
The most memorable moment for me was after the screening of the award-winning film "Osama" and listening to members of the Afghanistan Mission explain the showing in a question-and-answer session. Some of the questions our youth asked about present-day Afghanistan are: "What have the Americans done to punish the Taliban for their crimes?" "Now that the Taliban is officially out of Afghanistan, do the Afghan men treat their women differently?" "Have the Afghan people found peace?"
As I was packing to leave the Auditorium, a student came over to me and asked: "Is it possible for me to become an intern this summer at the United Nations?" And after I had answered, his friend commented: "This afternoon was
awesome. It changed my life." I smiled, satisfied. Because of him and the 1,300 students who participated in this year's United Nations "Open Classroom", my dream has become a reality. He reminded me that if we don't have dreams for our students, how can we have hope for their future?
—Roberta Seret is Director of the International Film Festival for High School Students.
Media Alert: The International Film Festival at the UN
WHAT: New film event at the United Nations
FOR WHOM: New York City public high school students
WHERE: United Nations Dag Hammarskjold Library Auditorium
WHEN: Once a month
WHY:
| 1. | To create for New York City's public high school students an "Open Classroom" in the United Nations, which includes a tailor-made one-hour tour, screening of a feature foreign film and a question-and-answer session with members of the Permanent Missions to the UN; |
| 2. | To introduce students to world events through foreign film; |
| 3. | To bridge New York City to the United Nations—an outreach to the community of New York City students; |
| 4. | To give students the opportunity to experience film as a medium to understand other cultures; |
| 5. | To inspire and educate; and |
| 6. | In a post 9/11 city, this programme offers an art film that shows peace, understanding and the tenets of the United Nations. It gives students hope for their future. |
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