The short video documentary about Carole Denise Fredericks entitled “Leçon Blues” is the culmination of twelve months of work during the 2020-2021 academic year by children at Maurice Rouvier Elementary School in the 14th arrondissement (district) of Paris, France.
On November 24, 2021, 42 students, six parents, and two educators from the school gathered at the Entrepot Cinema to view the result. Fifteen to twenty (15-20) of the students attending played an active role in creating the video.
Entrepot Cinema
© Wells International Foundation
Children arriving at cinema
© Wells International Foundation
The event was important enough that several administrators and elected officials from the City of Paris and the 14th arrondissement made time in their schedules to attend.
Rouvier educators Aurélien Rudelle and Nicolas Roux welcomed to the screening:
- Nadine Robert : Cheffe de CASPE 6/14 (Circonscription des Affaires Scolaires et de la Petite Enfance des 6e et 14e arrondissements),
- Marie Pierre Paquier : Cheffe de pole des Affaires Scolaires de CASPE 6/14,
- Virginie Mouaatarif : Responsable Action Educative de CASPE 6/14,
- Sandrine Foujanet : Coordinatrice Territoriale de l’Action Educative de CASPE 6/14,
- Carine Petit : Maire du 14e arrondissement, and
- Alexandra Slon : Cabinet de Carine Petit, Chargée de mission Education et Nouveaux Apprentissages du 14e arrondissement,
all of whom thoroughly appreciated the work the students performed.
Mayor Carine Petit (left) and Dr. Monique Y. Wells (right)
© Wells International Foundation
The children were excited by the prospect of seeing their fellow students’ work and it took them a while to settle in. They were quite vocal during the screening and enthusiastically proclaimed their praise of the film when it ended.
Opening sequence with Connie Fredericks-Malone,
sister of Carole Denise Fredericks
© Wells International Foundation
Carole Denise Fredericks on screen
© Wells International Foundation
Children expressing their approval of the film
© Wells International Foundation
After the screening, Rudelle and Roux invited Dr. Wells and the children who served as cast and crew for the video to go to the front of the projection room so that the other children, parents, and invited guests in the audience could ask them questions.
After roughly 30 minutes of Q&A, the group left the cinema to head back to school.
Children leaving the cinema
© Wells International Foundation
Dr. Wells, Rudelle, and Roux finally got to meet in person after a year of conferencing via Zoom!
Nicolas Roux, Dr. Monique Y. Wells, and Aurélien Rudelle
© Wells International Foundation
Classes Duo Paris / New England will continue in 2022, with Rudelle and Roux introducing a younger group of children to the life and music of Carole Fredericks. They will continue to use video as the primary implementation tool for this project.
