Precious Knowledge
| Precious Knowledge | |
|---|---|
.jpg) | |
| Directed by | Ari Luis Palos |
| Produced by | Eren Isabel McGinnis |
| Music by | Naïm Amor |
| Edited by | Jacob Bricca |
Production company |
Dos Vatos Productions The Independent Television Service |
Running time | approx. 70 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Precious Knowledge is a 2011 political documentary centered on the banning of the Mexican American Studies Program in the Tucson Unified School District of Arizona. It was directed by Ari Palos and produced by Eren Isabel McGinnis; both are founders of Dos Vatos Productions.[1]
The film follows the lives of four students and several teachers in the Mexican American Studies program at Tucson High School. It follows the progression of local legislation put into place by the Arizona Department of Education Superintendent of Public Instruction, Tom Horne, in order to ban the Mexican American Studies program. The film was awarded the Premio Mesquite for Best Documentary at the Cine Festival at the Guadalupe Cultural Art Center in San Antonio, Texas.[2]
Summary
The documentary begins by introducing Crystal Terriquez, Priscilla Rodriguez, Gilbert Esparza, and Mariah Harvey, all Mexican-American students at Tucson High School who participate in a Mexican-American studies programme designed to retain Hispanic students. Despite the apparent success of the program, there has been significant opposition in the community. The antagonist of the film, Tom Horne, argues that the true nature of the program is not to improve the education of the students, but instead is to orchestrate a Mexican uprising over the American Government. He proposed House Bill 2281, which would terminate the ethnic studies program at Tucson Unified School District, on the basis of claims of conspiracy to violently overthrow the government. The teachers and students of the MAS program then organized several protests and rallies to raise awareness about the proposed bill, including one where several students and teachers were arrested while protesting during a school board meeting. The bill has undergone several revisions, and it was signed into law by the governor of Arizona, Jan Brewer, though it is being appealed by TUSD. The movie ends when an MAS graduate is shown attending the University of Arizona. Following the events of the film, the Mexican-American studies program has been suspended by the school board.
Production
Ari Luis Palos and Eren Isabel McGinnis began filming Precious Knowledge on October 31, 2008, after being granted permission by the Tucson Unified School District. The film makers were allowed complete access to the ethnic studies program in Tucson Magnet High School throughout the 2008-2009 school year. They also filmed students in and out of the classroom. The four students that the film was centered on were Crystal Terriquez, Pricila Rodriguez, Mariah Harvey, and Gilbert Esparza. The 2008-2009 school year turned out to be significant and emotional for the students in the Ethnic Studies Programs as political pressure mounted in the community.[3]
References
- ↑ ""Precious Knowledge:" The love and struggle of learning". Arizona Daily Star.
- ↑ "'Granito: How to Nail a Dictator', 'Precious Knowledge' and 'El Velador' Screening at the 2012 CineFestival". Latino Public Broadcasting Community.
- ↑ ""Precious Knowledge:" The love and struggle of learning". Arizona Daily Star.