We have resources to help you celebrate AAPI Heritage with Film for Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month in May and all year long! As part of our global education collection, we are pleased to offer two Journeys in Film curriculum guides to help you teach about Iran with film.
Celebrate AAPI Heritage with Film: New in 2026
Call Me Dancer | India
This engaging film for all ages follows a 21-year-old street dancer from India who is torn between his artistic dreams and his struggling parents’ expectations – until he meets a feisty 75-year-old ballet master. Call Me Dancer teaching resources include:
- Learning Guide for Grades 2-6
- Learning Guide for Grades 6-12
- Mini Discussion Guide / Bell Ringer (3 -pages, printer-friendly) (Grades 4-12)
- Dance-Focused Slideshow, for Physical Education classes and related learning spaces. (Grades 4-12).
These are valuable resources for global education, social emotional learning, building vocabulary and critical thinking skills, building classroom community, bolstering positive habits and more. They can be used in Career Studies, Economics, English Language Arts, Geography, International Relations, Music, Performing Arts, Physical Education, Social Emotional Learning, and Visual Arts classes.
▶ Learn more about teaching with Call Me Dancer and get these free Call Me Dancer Educational Resources.
Celebrate AAPI Heritage with Film: New in 2025
And So It Begins | The Philippines
This award-winning documentary is set amidst the Filipino elections of 2022. It follows Leni Robredo’s 2022 presidential campaign and the quirky people’s movement that rises to defend the Philippines against deepening threats to truth and democracy in a collective act of joy as a form of resistance. The film highlights key players in the 2022 Philippines preisdential election, including fearless Rappler CEO Maria Ressa, who despite arrests and harassment continues to publish articles holding a lawless regime accountable.
The And So It Begins Learning Guide includes a powerful exploration of political corruption and civic engagement. Available in English and Spanish.
Lesson Grades: 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, College, Adult Learning
Subjects: Civics, Current Events, English Language Arts, Film Literacy, Geography, Government, Journalism, Media Literacy, Philippines History, Political Science, Speech, Social Studies US History, World History
Learn more about teaching with And So It Begins and get the And So It Begins Learning Guide.
My Music with Rhiannon Giddens / Teaching the American Railroad | China
Season 2 of My Music with Rhiannon Giddens features Pulitzer Prize and Grammy winner Rhiannon Giddens hosting a series of musical performance and conversation with multicultural musicians in the Silkroad Ensemble’s American Railroad project. The project presents a musical exploration of the cultures that were first connected by the building of America’s Transcontinental Railroad.
The American Railroad Instructional Guide features a lesson on the role of Chinese Immigrants in the building of the Transcontinental Railroad. It focuses on learning history through poetry analysis and visual learning. It’s designed for teaching English Language Arts and U.S. History for grades 6-8.
The My Music with Rhiannon Giddens Episode One Learning Guide with Wu Man introduces students to Chinese musician Wu Man, her instrument the pipa, Chinese music, American Transcontinental Railroad History and the experience of Chinese Immigrants.
Learn more about teaching with My Music with Rhiannon Giddens and get these free teaching resources.
Resisterhood | Egypt
Resisterhood profiles six diverse Americans who are all civically engaged in different, inspiring ways. One of the subjects is a first-time political candidates: Mimi Hassanein, a first-generation immigrant from Egypt. Her story sheds light on what it’s like to be Muslim in contemporary America and also speaks broadly to immigrant experiences in the USA.
Lesson Grades: 10, 11, 12, College, Adult Learning
Subjects: Current Events, Civics, Government, Political Science, Social Studies, Women’s Studies
Learn more about teaching with Resisterhood.
Celebrate AAPI Heritage with Film: More Award-Winning Films & Educational Resources
Children of Heaven | Iran
This heartwarming film introduces students to the people and culture of Iran. For grades 6-9. Learn more.
He Named Me Malala | Pakistan
He Named Me Malala introduces students to the real life story of education advocate Malala Yousafzai, who became
Kahlil Gibran’s The Prophet | Lebanon
Kahlil Gibran’s The Prophet brings Lebanese-American author Kahlil Gibran’s famous book to the screen as a beautiful animated anthology film. For grades 7-12. Learn more.
Like Stars on Earth | India
Like Stars on Earth (Original title: Taare Zameen Par), the hit Indian film tells the story of an eight-year-old boy with undiagnosed dyslexia whose world is filled with wonders that no one else seems to appreciate. For grades 5-9. Learn more.
Please Vote for Me | China
Please Vote For Me follows a teacher in a third-grade class at an elementary school in Wuhan, China, who tries to teach about democracy by staging an election for class monitor. For grades 4-11. Learn more.
The Cup | Tibet
In The Cup (original title ཕོར་པ། or Phörpa), two young Tibetan refugees arrive at a monastery in exile in India and disrupt its serenity with their passion for soccer and The World Cup Finals. For grades 6-12, adult/higher ed. Learn more.
The Music of Strangers | China, Iran, Syria
The Music of Strangers: Yo-Yo Ma and the Silk Road Ensemble follows an ever-changing lineup of performers drawn from the ensemble’s more than 50 instrumentalists, vocalists, composers, arrangers, visual artists, and storytellers as they gather in locations around the world, exploring the ways art can both preserve traditions and shape cultural evolution.
The Music of Stranger Curriculum Guide includes lessons on The Chinese Cultural Revolution and Its Legacy (for grades 6-12), The Iranian Revolution (for grades 7-12), and The Ongoing Syrian Conflict and Humanitarian Crisis (for grades 8-12). Learn more.
The Neighborhood Storyteller | Jordan, Syria
The Neighborhood Storyteller follows Asmaa Rashed, a young Syrian woman in a refugee camp in Jordan who embarks on a read-aloud project to empower girls and foster collective healing. For grades 5-12, adult/higher ed. Learn more.
The Way Home | South Korea
The Way Home tells the coming-of-age story of a young boy from Seoul navigating the culture shock of staying with his grandmother in the countryside. For grades 4-12. Learn more.
Wadjda | Saudi Arabia
Groundbreaking feature film Wadjda follows the adventures of an enterprising ten-year-old Saudi girl who challenges tradition to pursue her dream of owning a bicycle. For grades 6-12. Learn more.
Whale Rider | Aotearoa / New Zealand
Whale Rider tells the story of a Māori girl who challenges generations of cultural tradition and assumptions about gender. For grades 6-10. Learn more.
Related Resources
- Teach Anti-Bias Education with Film
- Teach World Geography with Film
- Teach about World Religions with Film
- Windows and Mirrors Media Literacy / Representation Activity
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