Film studies promote a new kind of literacy in Hong Kong schools

In an increasing number of Hong Kong schools, film studies are promoting a new kind of literacy.

In the 21st-century curriculum, the term "multiple literacies" has supplanted the "three Rs" (reading, writing and arithmetic) of your parents' school days - or maybe your own. Education gurus advocate financial literacy, emotional literacy and even "ecoliteracy" as new skill sets required for success in adult life.

And there are more: visual literacy, aural literacy, information literacy, cyberliteracy, multicultural literacy, media literacy - all related to communication and technology. It appears that the well-known phrase "the medium is the message" is more relevant now than when it was coined in 1964 by Marshall McLuhan, the Canadian philosopher of communication theory. This catchphrase has often been misinterpreted, but it is a reference to how the medium of communication influences the audience's perception of the content, or message.

As a result, filmmaking and media studies are becoming an increasingly common area of study in Hong Kong secondary schools, providing a more modern platform for creative self-expression. The Canadian International School of Hong Kong (CDNIS) offers DP Film, which is one of the visual arts options in the diploma programme - the final two years of the IB (International Baccalaureate) curriculum. It explores the history and theory of filmmaking, in addition to film production.

"Being visually literate is a prerequisite in today's world," says Sharon Lacoste McDonagh, visual arts, film and TOK (theory of learning) teacher. "It is at the core of how we communicate information these days. It crosses linguistic and cultural borders. You can have a broader audience through film and, likewise, as an audience member you can explore many more worlds - real or imagined."