The Alberto Monteiro de Carvalho Institute, located in the community of Jacarezinho, near Rio de Janeiro, was one of the over 320 official venues of DBGYFF; having hosted its own screening of the festival's works last Friday, 18 October. Thanks to this event – and to its theme "I Have a Dream - Youth and climate change - Making Mother Earth cleaner and greener" – primary school students were able to enjoy an immersion in cinema that stimulated important reflections and encouraged creative activities.

During the day, students and educators attended a special selection of films where each short film was carefully chosen to adapt to the age group of students and explore topics such as sustainability, environmental awareness and the importance of dreaming of a better future.

After the screenings, the teachers moderated debates in the classroom, encouraging the students to discuss the messages conveyed by the films, focusing in particular on the inappropriate disposal of waste, an urgent issue in the community of Jacarezinho. The children also carried out artistic and cinematographic activities related to the festival, which animated the lessons.

In response to this debate the students produced an educational video that explains the decomposition time of waste in the environment, and also created awareness posters to encourage the protection of Creation, strengthening their commitment to environmental sustainability.

In Goiânia, in the last week, the Salesian Centre for Learning (CESAM) screened all 120 short finalists of the DBGYFF. The privileged recipients of the screenings were the students of the digital inclusion, citizenship and specific knowledge courses who were able to see the films during their theoretical training in the social learning program, and then to discuss together the value of sustainability in their daily lives and in their life projects.

The executive director of CESAM in Goiânia, Rosângela Rodrigues, says that DBGYFF 2024 provided the institute's young people with a valid opportunity to explore their knowledge and their vision of the world. "It was a moment to raise awareness of relevant issues to promote a better world and a more just and fraternal society."

Student Gabriel Moreira believes that the activity represented an important moment of reflection for the young people in the institute and that it is also essential to raise awareness among other people. "The films made us reflect on the current worrying situation of the environment and on how we can contribute to creating a more conscious and sustainable society. Even small attitudes can make a difference".

Maria Teixeira, a student at CESAM in Goiânia, believes that the short films are a good way to raise public awareness of the different problems that occur in the world and that directly affect the ecosystem. “What we see on the news doesn't just happen in Brazil. We've seen a lot of pollution in the sky, in the rivers and in the forests. And this affects animals, plants and humans. We must take better care of the environment and seek solutions for a more sustainable world ."

Finally, another student, Rosângela, underlined the social role of DBGYFF in encouraging young people to become globally and environmentally aware, making them active subjects in building a better world. "It is an initiative that motivates young people in Salesian houses, and beyond, to discuss, analyse and propose solutions for the future. They are led to reflect deeply on ‘where can I, as a young person, make a difference?’ It is certainly something that encourages new film productions and initiatives.”

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