A Lot Like You

A Film by Eliaichi Kimaro

Lake Washington Girls Middle School–ALLY Project

March 5, 2013

LWGMS

I was delighted to be invited to share A Lot Like You with Lake Washington Girls Middle School today.  Their 8th grade class is about to launch into a memoir writing unit–which is just the context I needed for this screening/discussion, given that the seeds of this film were planted in my 12th grade memoir writing class (at an all-girls school, no less).

Immediately following the screening, the girls took a moment share their stories/feelings/reflections.  To help them get started, I suggested they reflect on the meaning behind our title or our tagline (“The truth has no borders.”)  

The 45-minute conversation that followed covered so much ground, including:

  • my surprising, and unlikely, film journey
  • the power of personal storytelling, and how it can change the world
  • how oppression compromises the humanity in us all
  • the concept of Ubuntu
  • the emergent tension between cultural relativism and global human rights
  • the story of what happened when my Tanzanian family saw the film
  • realizing that while Mom, Dad and I all skirt the line of cultural insider/outsider, it manifests differently for each of us
  • reflecting on whether I ultimately achieved my goal of understanding who I am and what I’m passing down…


The girls were so engaged and compassionate in their consideration of my story.  What an honor to get to be a part of their journey as they prepare to do some serious soul-searching and deep introspection of their own…

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