Montes de Maria Colectivo de Comunicacion

Chilca, one of the students of the Escuela Audiovisual Infantil frames the shot. Photo from Tomando Conciencia

This July the Our Media group met in Medellin, Colombia. Among the presentations were films from Montes de Maria. Children at the Escuela Audiovisual Infantil in that region have made many films addressing issues of concern to children.
This interview with Maria Eugenia Lora Muñoz, who started as a student in the program, was produced by Victoria Maldonado and Harold Secué at the conference in Medellin. In it Maria Eugenia describes the workshops and how the themes and distribution means are chosen by the children themselves.
Monie listens to the community radio station. Photo from Tomando Conciencia

The following clip is part of a series made at the Escuela about the rights of children. Each episode of the series ilustrates one right. This one is about the right for children to have time to play and have friends.

Some of the films produced by the children are on youTube.

The school has a vegetable garden and this segment shows how a group of children gather ingredients to make soup, including unlocking the school to pick some tomatos.

A similar focus on food and school nutrition in New York City is in What's on Your Plate."The audience follows two seventh graders as they make the journey that food takes, from the farm to CSAs and farmer’s markets, to schools and into the home. Sadie and Safiyah meet all the people involved in feeding the tremendous appetite of nine million New Yorkers. Throughout the film, the girls explore some essential questions: Why does food that is bad for us exist? Why can’t everyone eat healthy, non-processed food all the time?"--From the Slow Food blog.