Told through the collective memories of farmers, students and educators that participated in the “Culture Circles,” learning to read and write in 40 hours, the film contains rare archival footage of mid-twentieth century Brazil that was recently recovered after being buried for decades. Their innovative method used critical and creative thinking instead of memorization and repetition. By contextualizing and personalizing the lessons, educators used their surroundings to teach vocabulary and construct meaning. Thousands of Brazilians became literate and were allowed to vote as a consequence, strengthening the blossoming democracy and social movement that was disrupting the colonial structures. After a shocking coup de’ tat, the farmer’s notebooks were set on fire, and Freire was eventually forced into exile for 16 years, spreading his pedagogy around the globe and impacting democracy and education until today. Today Freire is considered one of the most influential philosophers of education in the twentieth century and revered by educators across the world.

Andreia Davies, CIES member from Columbia University Teachers College, will present and discuss the film curriculum guide that accompanies the film, aimed primarily at higher education. It’s grounded in Freire’s philosophy of critical pedagogy, situating conscientização and dialogical praxis within their historical emergence in Brazil.

This workshop will explore how the film and curriculum can be meaningfully applied in both classroom and community settings.