KidVid: Meet the Families of the World--One Country at a Time
Media representations of life in other countries often concentrate on either the luxurious or the wretched—we are bombarded with images of extremely comfortable lifestyles or those lived in abject poverty. The Families of the World DVD series offers a more realistic view and introduces children to others from places as diverse as Canada, Vietnam, Israel, France, and Brazil. Each DVD is 30 minutes and focuses on two children and their families—one from a rural setting, the other from an urban setting.
Sampling the series, I watched Families of Germany and Families of Philippines, examples of two very different cultures. Cameras follow each child as they go through their daily routines—getting up in the morning, going to school, eating meals, and engaging in various activities with their families. These visits around the world are surprisingly natural; no one dresses up for their big video debut, and family interactions occur without any acknowledgment of a camera. Families of the World presents life as it is lived by children all over the planet.
An American English-speaking child narrates each child’s story, which may be one of the keys to the spontaneity and lack of pretension; no one plays to the camera, no one is expected to act or react for the benefit of the viewing audience. Besides learning about different cultures, kids will learn about differences within cultures. Just as a kid living in a big city in the United States experience a life very different from that of a kid living on a farm in a rural area, so are the differences between rural and urban living throughout the world.
Families of the World is appropriate for home viewing and group settings such as classrooms and youth groups. The DVDs will spark interest in and conversation about cultures, foods, housing, education and the differences and similarities among children’s lives everywhere.
Families of Germany and Families of Philippines will be available September 20, 2011. The series is recommended for ages five through eleven; a Teacher’s Guide in PDF format is included with each disc.
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