Reel lessons pay off

School children were on the frontline when international film-makers took them on a war-torn journey at a film screening about Afghanistan, writes Szu Ping Chan. St Augustine s secondary school, in Oxford Road, Kilburn, hosted Afghan ambassadors last week

School children were on the frontline when international film-makers took them on a war-torn journey at a film screening about Afghanistan, writes Szu Ping Chan.

St Augustine's secondary school, in Oxford Road, Kilburn, hosted Afghan ambassadors last week, including film director, Havana Marking.

Mr Marking answered questions about the film Afghan Star, which tells how contestants compete in an American Idol style show in a country where militants tried to kill people for making music.

Filmclub features a series of films about Afghanistan, Iraq and Iran to help pupils understand how people cope with living in war-torn countries.

Filmclub, which offers thousands of free films to English schools, was launched at the school in February 2007.

English teacher, Cat Fitton said: "Filmclub's impact on St Augustine's is positive. It's one of the extra-curricular activities that doesn't discriminate.

"Students are always willing to talk about films and they find it much easier to express their own opinions about films than they do about poems or books and yet, they are still using the same skills.