A Story of Hope: UnBroken
UnBroken is a powerful Holocaust Education film that is also useful for teaching Anti-Bias Education, Media Literacy, Social Emotional Learning, and World War II...
Overview
My Sweet Land is a coming-of-age story set against a multigenerational war in the post-Soviet Caucasus Mountains. It follows an 11-year-old boy named Vrej. Growing up in Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh), Vrej dreams of becoming a dentist. He lives in a picture-postcard village with its roaming ducks and golden bees. His sweet land, however, is strewn with mines from previous wars, shaping a country that remains unrecognized to the world. Vrej’s life takes a sudden turn when war erupts, forcing him to flee with his family. He spends his days in exile impatiently waiting for victory, but reality takes a different turn. Armenians lose the war. Upon returning to his surviving village, he confronts devastation and new power dynamics. These include an education that prepares the children for near-future battles. Further, Vrej struggles with a reality that forces him to learn the rules of war, while longing to live in his homeland in peace. Ultimately, the film is a testament to the people of Artsakh, where hope and trauma had shaped their resilience across generations.
This film is a co-production of HAI Creative, Sister Productions, Soilsiu Films.
The education guide has been made possible by a grant from the Armenian General Benevolent Union (AGBU).
Where to Watch
You can visit the My Sweet Land website for watch options. My Sweet Land is available for educational sales through Good Docs. The film is also currently streaming on PBS.
Learning Guide
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Section 1: Getting Started -- Documentary Active Viewing
This includes an abridged Glossary of Film Terms and an Active Viewing Handout and Worksheet.
Subject: Film Literacy, Geography, History, Media Literacy, World History
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Section 2: Artsakh: A History of Homeland and Displacement
This includes Historical Context Background regarding the Armenian Genocide and the Armenian Diaspora Questions to explore the concept of a homeland and genocide, including regarding Raphael Lemkin who coined the term Case Study Activities with Handouts, Useful Terms, a Modern Historical Timeline, and a Worksheet on Homelands and Borders.
Subject: Current Events, History, Political Science, Social Studies, World History
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Coming of Age: Narratives and Representations of Home
This section is useful for English Language Arts, specifically for units on Poetry, Home, or Graphic Novels. It includes a cross-media component for the graphic novel Persepolis.
Subject: Creative Writing, English Language Arts, Language Arts, Media Literacy, Visual Arts, Visual Literacy
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My Sweet Land: Media Literacy and Analysis
This section is focused on the driving question: What is media literacy and why it is so important? It includes various handouts and worksheets including Media Analysis Worksheet, Different Kinds of Media Worksheet, Coming of Age Film Worksheet, and Media Audit.
Subject: English Language Arts, Film Literacy, Media Literacy
Additional Details about the Learning Guide
English Language Arts components in the guide include:
Poetry Anthology (Handout packet of poems) focused on the theme of home
Poetic Terms Handout
Literary Terms Handout
How to Read a Poem Handout
Handouts for discussion and analysis of poems in the Poetry Anthology
Poetry Analysis Handout
Cross-Media Connection Unit for Persepolis
Graphic Novel Analysis Handout
Graphic Novel Terms Handout
Blank Comic Panels Handout
Group Discussion Facilitation Guidelines
These tips can help you create safe space for classroom engagement on the themes and subjects of this film.
Glossary of Film Terms
An abbreviated Glossary of Film Terms is provided in the Learning Guide. The full Glossary of Film Terms is provided here.
Sustainable Development Goals
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