Jardines Discussion Guide

Jardines is an intimate portrait of the experiences and trajectories unique to displaced queer folks as they flee violence and persecution in their home countries. The film introduces us to people from all over the world as they contemplate the uncertainty of a future in the United States at a time when asylum legislation and LGBTQ+ rights are under legal duress.

This guide is an invitation to dialogue. It is based on a belief in the
power of human connection and designed for people who want to
use Jardines to engage family, friends, classmates, colleagues, and
communities. In contrast to initiatives that foster debates in which
participants try to convince others that they are right, this document
envisions conversations undertaken in a spirit of openness in which
people try to understand one another and expand their thinking by
sharing viewpoints and listening actively.

The discussion prompts are intentionally crafted to help a wide
range of audiences think more deeply about the issues in the film.
Rather than attempting to address them all, choose one or two that
best meet your needs and interests. And be sure to leave time to
consider taking action. Planning next steps can help people leave
the room feeling energized and optimistic, even in instances when
conversations have been difficult.

For more detailed event planning and facilitation tips, visit https://communitynetwork.amdoc.org/.

This guide was written in collaboration with Jade Sanchez-Ventura
Jade Sanchez-Ventura is a writer and radical educator. She works in memoir and her personal essays have been published across an array of online literary journals, and in print with Slice Magazine and Seal Press. Her work has been featured on Bitch Media’s Popaganda podcast and been awarded the Slice Literary Conference “Bridging the Gap” award; a Disquiet Literary conference fellowship; and a Hertog fellowship. She is a regular contributor to MUTHA Magazine, which champions a fiery re-imagining of parenting. As an educator, she is very good at being continually wowed by her students and their words on the page. She believes a commitment to racial equity and social justice is essential to the practice of teaching. She has spent the last decade studying and implementing this pedagogical approach to education with the Brooklyn Free School, an urban democratic free school in New York City.

DISCUSSION GUIDE PRODUCERS
Courtney B. Cook, Phd | Education Manager, POV
Anna Yarbrough | Education Editor, POV

THANKS TO THOSE WHO REVIEWED AND CONTRIBUTED TO THIS RESOURCE:
Sydney Schmidt, POV Intern