Trailer for Small Things, Big Things which will be screening at the Hot Docs Film Festival.
In the small village of Silvepura, India, the alternative Sita School teaches children through emotion, creativity and social interaction. Opened in 1975 with an ambition to alleviate low attendance in the area, the school is a space where children can start at any time and learn through their surroundings. Director Saumyananda Sahi, who himself went to Sita School until he was 11 years old, gently observes the activities of the students and teachers for one year. As they express their experiences and memories—whether through puppet theatre or a time capsule buried for the future—the children’s personalities shine through as they interact daily with their peers and teachers. Small Things, Big Things is a diaristic love letter to the benefits of a school that listens to what childhood can be.