Film Screening - Maestra
Sat, Aug 29
|Sankofa Video, Books & Cafe
Join us for a screening of Maestra, Catherine Murphy’s short documentary featuring the stories of the youngest women teachers of Cuba’s 1961 Literacy Campaign. The film explores their courage, commitment, and the lasting impact of their work. Followed by a conversation with the filmmaker via zoom!
Time & Location
Aug 29, 2026, 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Sankofa Video, Books & Cafe, 2714 Georgia Ave NW, Washington, DC 20001, USA
Guests
About The Event
In Collaboration with Africa World Now Project
Maestra is a short documentary film directed by Catherine Murphy, about the youngest women teachers of the 1961 Cuban Literacy Campaign.
In 1961, Cuba aimed to eradicate illiteracy in one year. It sent 250,000 volunteers across the island to teach reading and writing in rural communities for one year. 100,000 of the volunteers were under 18 and more than half of them were women.
In 2004, Murphy discovered that she knew several women in Havana who had volunteered for the project; they were in their 60s. Murphy was due to return to the United States, but before doing so, she decided to record three interviews with former Literacy Campaign volunteers. From 2004 to 2010, Murphy continued to track down stories of Literacy Campaign volunteers and the families that hosted them, eventually producing and directing Maestra and founding The Literacy Project.
Tickets
General Admission
$10.60
+$0.27 ticket service fee
Total
$0.00