Precious Knowledge (2011)

Directed by

Ari Luis Palos

Genre

documentary film

Country

United States

Runtime

1h 15m

Rated

NR

Elsewhere

IMDb

How it feels

The documentary follows students and teachers in a Mexican-American Studies program at a high school in Arizona. It shows the political fight to stop the program from being taught.

educationalpoliticalseriousinspirationalearnestpersonalthought-provokinggrounded

What happens

Precious Knowledge is a 2011 educational and political documentary that centers on the banning of the Mexican-American Studies (MAS) Program in the Tucson Unified School District of Arizona. The documentary was directed by Ari Luis Palos and produced by Eren Isabel McGinnis, the founders of Dos Vatos Productions. Precious Knowledge interweaves the stories of students and teachers in the Mexican-American Studies (MAS) Program, also known as "la Raza Studies", at Tucson Magnet High School. It narrates the progression of legislative backlash arguing that the program teaches "anti-American" values, proposed by the former Arizona Department of Education Superintendent of Public Instruction, Tom Horne. Proponents of the program argue that it allows students from all backgrounds to feel a connection with the history and culture of the indigenous Americas. Although the MAS Program was ultimately removed, MAS teachers and students challenged the banning at federal court. Precious Knowledge received academic praise when it was screened at colleges across the country. In 2011, the film won Audience Favorite and Special Jury Awards at the San Diego Latino Film Festival and Honorable Mention in the Best Documentary category at the Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival. In 2012, it won Premio Mesquite for Best Documentary at the Cine Festival in San Antonio, Texas. (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

Trailer

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