Filmmaker Paul Émile d'Entremont's documentary presents Reema, a lively and sensitive young girl confronted with difficult questions about her identity. After spending the first 16 years of her life with her Canadian mother, Reema re-connects with her Iraqi father by spending 2 months with him in Jordan. On returning home to Nova Scotia, she realizes she will always have a double identity, and that it is both a burden and a treasure.
Ages 14 to 17
Civics/Citizenship - Human Rights
Diversity - Identity
Ethics and Religious Culture - Ethical Values
Ethics and Religious Culture - Religious Diversity/Heritage
Have a class discussion on Elizabeth's decision to leave Iraq with only one daughter. Students could also respond with a journal entry. Compare women's role in society in North America and in Iraq. What are the differences? Invite a Muslim woman to come in and speak to the class about a woman's role in Iraq (expectations concerning jobs, family, etc.). Do you think that if Reema had been more educated from a young age about her Iraqi culture she would not be so judgemental about certain aspects of it? Before assigning the following project, bring students' attention to this website where a comparison of eastern and western cultures and beliefs are compared. Group students and have them research an eastern culture then present their findings.