Documentary Film Guide for Deaf Students

 “Documentary Film Guide for Deaf Students” is a project being carried out in November 2024. It involves a series of in-person workshop meetings conducted in sign language, as well as the publication of lesson plans to be used by teachers in schools specializing in the education of deaf children in grades IV-VI of primary school. The goal of the project is psychoeducation through the innovative tool of documentary films created with children in mind. The Wajda Film Centre is implementing the project in cooperation with the Institute of the Deaf of St. Jacob Falkowski and the Culture Without Barriers Foundation.

As part of the project, the Wajda Film Centre collaborates with the neighboring Institute of the Deaf of St. Jacob Falkowski, thus building a local community. The films presented focus on the issues and needs of protagonists who are peers of the viewers, explaining social problems, emphasizing the importance of mental and physical health, discussing cultural stereotypes, and addressing challenges related to disability, migration, family, and peer relationships. As a form of non-fiction, they teach viewers to understand reality through film in a profound and empathetic way, without manipulation or misinformation found in social media or “fake news,” thus enhancing the cognitive skills of the audience.

“Documentary Film Guide for Deaf Students” has been developed based on multiple award-winning works of high educational and artistic value, yet they present the aforementioned problems in an accessible and age-appropriate manner, tailored to the specific needs of the project participants, who face limited access to culture. Among the films featured are those already known to the audience of the Let’s Doc Film Festival for Young Audiences: “Flying Anne” (dir. Catherine von Campen), “Giovanni and His Water Ballet” (dir. Astrid Bussink), “Volt” (dir. Monika Kotecka, Karolina Poryzała), “Camp” (dir. Tomasz Jeziorski), “From This Moment Everything Was Different” (dir. Eef Hilgers), and “I Dance for You” (dir. Katarzyna Lesisz).

As part of the free, in-person film workshops, each film presented will be discussed by an experienced film educator with the participants. All films will be subtitled in Polish sign language, and an interpreter will also be present during the workshops. Each workshop is designed to develop skills and knowledge described in the general education curriculum for primary schools (according to the Regulation of the Minister of National Education of February 14, 2017, on the core curriculum of preschool education and the core curriculum for primary school education, Journal of Laws 2017, item 356). The overall activities have been consulted with the Culture Without Barriers Foundation and an experienced educator specializing in the education of deaf children in grades IV-VI.

Financed by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage from the “Cultural Promotion Fund – a state earmarked fund.”