This month, audiences can screen The Bryan Museum: Spreading the Love of Texas History on the Planet Classroom Network. This film is curated for the Planet Classroom Network by KIDS FIRST! Film Festival.
The Bryan Museum: Spreading the Love of Texas History, directed by Eshaan Mani, offers an informative journey into the past, tracing the museum’s mission to engage youth in Texas history. Mani explores the museum’s rich heritage and its commitment to educational programs rooted in history and literacy. The film provides valuable insights, molding an enjoyable and enlightening experience, highlighting the significance of historical education.
The Global Search for Education is pleased to welcome Eshaan Mani.
Eshaan, what inspired you to create The Bryan Museum: Spreading the Love of Texas History, and what message did you hope to convey through the film?
I interned at The Bryan Museum in my freshman year and was exposed to the wealth of stories that lay within its four walls, as well as its mission to promote literacy among the youth in partnership with iWRITE. As I’d worked with iWRITE since middle school, I thought I’d spotlight the partnership while also shedding light on how the small museum is sharing the history of our great state of Texas.
Can you share any behind-the-scenes anecdotes or challenges you encountered while filming at The Bryan Museum that had a significant impact on the final product?
Chatting with the founder of the museum, Mr. J. P. Bryan, was a wonderful experience; he has a wealth of knowledge and a deep passion for Texas history, and without his contributions, the film couldn’t have come together as well as it did.
One interesting challenge in post-production was around how to structure the film — I had great information about the museum’s projects around Texas history, and a ton about their commitment to literacy, but I had to figure out how I’d weave both ideas together with interviews and b-roll. This is why editing was such a key part of the process of creating this film.
The film highlights the museum’s commitment to educating youth about Texas history. What kind of influence do you believe the film can have in inspiring similar initiatives at other cultural institutions?
In my time interning with the museum’s marketing department and creating their first-ever TikTok series, “It’s Texas Time,” I saw how receptive the museum was to what other institutions were doing, whether it be research, community projects, or even social media campaigns. And I saw how powerful our and other institutions’ outreach efforts were.
I hope that my film can inspire other museums and cultural institutions to go beyond preserving history within their four walls and to work with their communities and shape the future.
How do you see the role of history and cultural education in shaping the perspectives and values of younger generations, and what drew you to explore this theme in your film?
History and culture are both part of the fundamental framework of our society. They’ve both always interested me; I was the kid who’d watch Discovery documentaries and Crash Course for fun. So it was a joy to film in The Bryan Museum, which — fun fact — used to be an orphanage when Galveston was in its heyday, and hear about the museum’s work.
I believe cultural institutions that work to show students the magic of the world, past and present, while also championing social causes like literacy, can help the next generation become more educated, responsible, and conscious citizens.
Thanks Eshaan!
C.M. Rubin with Eshaan Mani
Don’t Miss The Bryan Museum: Spreading the Love of Texas History, now streaming on the Planet Classroom Network. This film is curated by KIDS FIRST! Film Festival.
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