gmuzzatti Maestra is a touching, incisive and true-to-history account of the 1961 literacy campaign that occurred throughout Cuba and was responsible for bringing the literacy rate among the inhabitants of this island nation from about 70% to 96% in under one year, a feat led by intrepid young women that has not been replicated in any other country. Having been to Cuba three times as a leader of professional educators tours and having visited the Havana museum dedicated to the literacy campaign, I can vouch for the authenticity and generous spirit that permeates Catherine Murphy's Maestra. A must buy for teachers of education and history, and for that matter, for anyone interested in the role women have played in transforming our world.

josephmutti This excellent documentary takes the very unexpected twist of looking at the Cuban literacy campaign from the perspective of the young girls and women who were sent into the countryside to teach reading and writing to complete strangers.In the very male-dominated society of the time it was a sort of "coming-out" for some and a liberation for others, and very much changed most of their lives forever.It's a fascinating story told by the protagonists themselves - some of the thousands who found themselves suddenly in charge of their own lives as well as the education of others some 3 to 4 times their age.A documentary that underlines an unrecognized (at least for me) side-effect of one of the most remarkable accomplishments of any society in history.

judithamurphy This inspiring documentary follows young women who volunteer as students to go to the undeveloped countryside and teach as literacy volunteers in 1961. On the surface it is about that literacy campaign, the year Cuba devoted much of its GNP to bring basic literacy to all her citizens. Deeper is a lively example of young people discovering their own potential. From middle class backgrounds with chaperons and close supervision, these young people are sent to live with and share the poverty of uneducated peasants; this exposure liberates them from the restrictive ideas they had about their own futures. It is worth watching for the remarkable rarely seen historical footage from Cuban film archives. This extensive archival content is interwoven with interviews of these women later in life, and creates a lovely coming of age arc.Show it to the teenagers you know for its demonstration of the power of individuals to make a difference.

fairbanksbradley Maestra is a beautifully crafted, inspiring film about teen-aged Cuban girls and their life-changing experiences being involved in the 1961 literacy campaign that taught 700,000 Cubans to read and write. The girls who became teachers (maestras) gained confidence and went on to become successful in other pursuits later in their lives. The film includes rare archival footage of the campaign as well as commentary from the maestras fifty years later about the importance of this experience in their lives.At 33 minutes, it is the perfect length to allow for more discussion after the film. Appropriate for young people and adults. We are pleased to include this film in the 2013 World Community Film Festival in Canada. Maestra is inspiring, very well edited, and has a great musical score befitting a film about this historical Cuban project. Bravo!