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nspired by the revolutionary ideas of Paulo Freire, Reading the World challenges us to rethink education—not as memorization, but as liberation.
This powerful documentary explores how knowledge shapes power, and how access to education determines the future of freedom itself.
Part of the Defense of Democracy Film Festival 2026
Theme: The Price of Freedom
Told through the collective memories of students that participated in the “Culture Circles," learning to read and write, the film contains rare archival footage of mid-twentieth century Brazil. After a shocking coup de' tat, Freire was forced into exile for 16 years, spreading his pedagogy of democracy and education around the globe.
- YearAugust 1, 2025
- Runtime01:10:00
- LanguagePortuguese
- CountryBrazil, United States
- GenreHistory, Biography, education
- Subtitle LanguageEnglish
- AwardsGramado Film FestivalGramado, Rio Grande do Sul Brazil August 21, 2025 World Premiere Best Feature Documentary Award
- NoteBlack & White and Color
- DirectorCatherine Murphy, Iris de Oliveira
- ProducerMicaela Ovelar
- Co-ProducerCarina Aparecida, Rachel Dickson
- FilmmakerCatherine Murphy, Iris de Oliveira
- CastPaulo Freire
nspired by the revolutionary ideas of Paulo Freire, Reading the World challenges us to rethink education—not as memorization, but as liberation.
This powerful documentary explores how knowledge shapes power, and how access to education determines the future of freedom itself.
Part of the Defense of Democracy Film Festival 2026
Theme: The Price of Freedom
Told through the collective memories of students that participated in the “Culture Circles," learning to read and write, the film contains rare archival footage of mid-twentieth century Brazil. After a shocking coup de' tat, Freire was forced into exile for 16 years, spreading his pedagogy of democracy and education around the globe.
- YearAugust 1, 2025
- Runtime01:10:00
- LanguagePortuguese
- CountryBrazil, United States
- GenreHistory, Biography, education
- Subtitle LanguageEnglish
- AwardsGramado Film FestivalGramado, Rio Grande do Sul Brazil August 21, 2025 World Premiere Best Feature Documentary Award
- NoteBlack & White and Color
- DirectorCatherine Murphy, Iris de Oliveira
- ProducerMicaela Ovelar
- Co-ProducerCarina Aparecida, Rachel Dickson
- FilmmakerCatherine Murphy, Iris de Oliveira
- CastPaulo Freire