School

CONSTRUCTION OF A GARIFUNA LANGUAGE SCHOOL IN HONDURAS

A unique aspect of this film series is the incorporation into the story of the building of a small school near a Garifuna village. The script of the movie requires a school to be shown in various states of construction as the local community rallies to build the school in defiance of foreign interests who want to take over the plot of land reserved for the school.

In real life, a plot of land indeed exists in Triunfo de la Cruz, Honduras for just this purpose – the building of a small schoolhouse – however lack of funds have made construction elusive. The school is proposed to house the first trilingual (English, Spanish, Garifuna) elementary school in Honduras – a pilot program instituted by the government for which follow-up has been rather limited. However, trilingual classes are currently being held in a borrowed space (a nearby house) but availability of the space has been erratic. The teachers and students are already conducting classes, but they have no dedicated facility.

The producers intend to build (and directly supervise the construction of) the physical schoolhouse, enhancing the significance of this film project: not only will the movie include realistic construction scenes essential to the plot and theme of the film, but the community will be left with a lasting educational asset that will function in perpetuity.

The cost to build the school is approximately $13,500. The producers (one of whom has extensive construction experience) will personally supervise the effort, eliminating the need to hire a site supervisor. A detailed budget is available upon request.

PARTS 2 & 3 of the series will show the progress of children’s learning at this facility in various subplots. As such, an investment in this film is not only an investment in the preservation of Garifuna culture via an audiovisual work, but it is a direct, tangible investment in the community and the education of its children.