Please meet Tony Estrada, an award-winning director who created the short film ¡Viva la Revolución! as part of a program to ignite conversations around bullying in a relatable way for children. In Tony’s film, a bullied student starts a revolution to overthrow his oppressors, but he ends up becoming a dictator of the playground. The ¡Viva la Revolución! film provides an anti-bullying lesson and platform that schools were looking for.
“My intention with ¡Viva la Revolución! is to help kids find a new sense of empowerment they may have never experienced before watching the film. My goal is for kids to put themselves in these characters’ shoes, interpret the message, and work toward changing their environment.” – Tony Estrada, Director
Recently, Communities In Schools of Chicago (CIS) Partnership Specialists Communities In Schools (CIS) Chicago reached out to Tony as part of their integrated supports and enrichment programs for students. Their schools were seeking culturally relevant ways to address bullying, head on and came across ¡Viva la Revolución! .
Working closely with Tony, they created an in-school program for third through eighth graders, using the film as the backdrop for an authentic, student-driven conversation. By the start of the 2020–21 schoolyear, Karen reached out to see if Tony would be open for presenting to Chicago students in a live, virtual format, and he agreed.
More than 70 Students were able to view the film and then participate in an interactive discussion on morals and ethics. They were also able to ask Tony questions about his creation of ¡Viva la Revolución! and ideas that the film spurred around self-empowerment, goal-setting, and friendship. One of the students reflected that the bullies shouldn’t have treated their classmates that way, if they didn’t want the same to happen to them. Henry Elementary staff were also pleased with the programming.
“It was such a pleasure to have Tony and the ¡Viva la Revolución! program come visit Henry Elementary!” said Maggie Garfinkel, Henry’s Site Coordinator. “The program focused on empowering students and building their empathy towards others. Overall, it was a great experience, and I look forward to having them come to Henry again soon.”
This film brings out many feelings for students. After viewing the film, students shared personal hardships that included being personally bullied and experiencing recent losses.
Because of the program, students were able to be honest about their experiences and gain the skills to address bullying peacefully.
