Netflix currently has a solid list of French films, ranging from the embarrassingly lowly rated Planetarium to the inspirational true story in The African Doctor. In an effort to find new films to enhance my curriculum, I took a shot on a documentary: Elles Ont Toutes Une Histoire (Standing Tall). The shot ended up a good one, and I’m excited to use this one this year!
Summary
This documentary is only 50 minutes long, and it includes five, short segments. Teachers could show it in full, or they could choose only the segments they prefer. Conveniently, the documentary has a French language track, and it has both French and English subtitles.
Elles Ont Toutes Une Histoire tells the stories of women in five countries: Cameroon, Cambodia, Senegal, Nicaragua, and Ethiopia. Each woman has a story to tell about rising up from situations we rarely, if ever, see in the United States. The documentary does not shy away from controversy, nor does it refrain from showing unimaginable hardships. But what it also does is show how the resourcefulness of woman around the world creates powerful change.
The IB and the AP classroom
As an IB teacher, I’m constantly on the lookout for resources that fit a global perspective. This documentary does precisely that, and it also fits the new IB structure for 2019-2020. It aligns with the new theme of Social Organization (education), but it most easily falls under Sharing the Planet (equality).
Elles Ont Toutes Une Histoire also complements an AP classroom. As with IB, it fits two of the themes: Factors that Impact Quality of Life, and Environmental, Political, and Social Challenges.
Provocative
Netflix labeled this documentary as “provocative”. I would guess that many of the documentaries on its roster boast the same label, so I wouldn’t let that scare you away from showing it in the classroom. The language is appropriate, and the speech is slow and clear.
Depending on where (and who) you teach, you may want to leave out the Senegal segment or at least clearly structure how you present it. In that segment, the filmmaker discusses the problem created by “lack of abortion rights”, which clearly can ruffle feathers. He is clearly trying to highlight the issue of inequality among the sexes (pregnancies commonly only legally affect women), but not all students, admin, or parents will see it that way. Just a heads-up!
Whether you teach in an IB, AP, or standard classroom, this documentary provides fantastic opportunities to discuss issues of equality, poverty, education, feminism, and social progress. I highly recommend it as an addition to your curriculum!
July 28-20, 2019
For three days only, my guide to Elles Ont Toutes Une Histoire/Standing Tall is FREE in my TpT store here!