Occupying the Megalopolis (2021 | USA | 105 mins | Jefferson Elliot)

There’s a growing number of large cities throughout the world and they all start to suffer from the same afflictions. Overpopulation, homelessness, violence, scarcity of employment, larger dropout rates and much more that contribute to the downfall of its citizens. Elliot attempts to root out some of these troubling issues in one such city in Mexico by visiting different communities, especially those considered to be on the fringes, and talk with them about their experiences.

I don’t think I could have been more disappointed by this film. I was eager to discover and experience the city through the eyes of those least cared for by the population and authorities as a whole. It’s important to give those folks a voice, to allow them the opportunity to speak out on their own behalf, but also to give their experiences context so we can better understand where they’re coming from rather than simply hear the words they want to say. There was very little context so the issues they brought up had far less meaning than they should have. Historical context and significance would have brought some kind of cohesion and understanding to the viewers.

Unfortunately what I experienced instead was the director hanging out with his buddies while skateboarding through a city, and stopping as he came upon someone he thought would make a good story. In those glimpses I got a tiny taste of what this film really could have been, but that’s where it ended. With little-to-no research about the communities he included, and little to no prep work in what each speaker was trying to accomplish it felt like a bunch of small stories just put together rather than a film with a purpose. It was frustrating to watch, but I was at least a little glad I slogged through parts of it to hear what

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Reflecting on Anti-biased Education (2021 | USA | 48 mins | Filiz Efe McKinney)

While intended for viewing by educators, this film is invaluable to anyone and everyone that considers themselves an ally or interested in knowing more about anti-bias work. Teachers in small early childhood classrooms discuss the work they’re doing in anti-biased learning. They not only share their methods, but also their vulnerabilities and learning experiences as adults when discussing anti-bias work with children growing in this new world.

In complete contrast to the film above, I was delighted and excited by what this film had to say and the invaluable learning experiences it has to offer to folks of all ages. While we as adults don’t have the fortune to learn about the world in an open-hearted and open-minded way as children like those in the film, it’s still worth every moment to hear what these teachers have experienced and incorporate into their lessons; as adults we never have to stop learning and growing. This is especially important if we have little ones that we care about, we can help them to grow up in a more just world.

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