The Road Home (Professional Version)

* See below for a description of the film *

WHY CHOOSE THE PROFESSIONAL DVD?

SHOW THE FILM TO A GROUP:  With the Unlimited Public Screening License you can show the film as many timesas you’d like in classrooms, seminars, conferences, and public settings of any size.

LEAD A GROUP DISCUSSION:  Get people talking using the Discussion Question Insert designed to help your audience discover how the film’s message relates to their lives.  With sets of questions tailored to younger and older students, parents and professionals, you’ll find the right ones for any group.

DEEPEN YOUR UNDERSTANDING:  Gain new insight from two Professional Commentaries in which TCK experts Ruth Van Reken and Heidi Tunberg describe and explain the Third Culture Kid experience and highlight TCK themes in the film.

SPEAK YOUR AUDIENCE’S LANGUAGE:  Choose one of fourteen subtitle languages to best fit your audience (languages listed below) [Also on the Collector DVD]

GO BEHIND THE SCENES:  Hear Director Rahul Gandotra talk about the life experiences that inspired the film in two Director’s Commentaries Get more of the story with the alternate beginning and other deleted scenes, behind-the-scenes footage, and more.  [Also on the Collector DVD]

Purchase the Professional DVD from Amazon here.

Parents, caregivers and educators of TCKs can order Professional DVDs at a discount by emailing Heidi Tunberg.

Film Description:

“Growing up in England, ten-year old Pico never wanted to go to boarding school in the Himalayas, and despite the beauty there, he struggles to fit in. When he’s bullied for insisting he’s British in spite of his Indian heritage, he runs away, determined to return to his home in London. As he journeys through a country foreign to him, Pico encounters others who mistake him for an Indian boy, forcing him to face the painful truth that the world does not see him the way he sees himself.”

This semi-autobiographical film, shot in the Himalayas around Woodstock International School, is a masterpiece.  Breathtakingly beautiful, it was shortlisted for the Oscars and nominated for the BAFTAs (Britain’s Oscar equivalent) as well as winning scores of awards at film festivals around the world.  But for those who understand the experience of being a Hidden Immigrant – where how you look outside doesn’t fully match how you feel inside – it is more than a lovely movie.  It is also heart-stirring.  It illustrates that experience with poignancy and humor, evoking laughter and often a few tears.  I have literally watched it over 100 times, and it never gets old.  

The writer and director spent the first 9 years of his life in the UK and Saudi Arabia before returning to his parents’ homeland in India.  The film is loosely based on his early days at Woodstock International School.

Read more about the film or watch it online for free at the director’s website

Dialogue:  English & Hindi (with English subtitles for the Hindi)

Subtitles (DVD version):  English (full dialogue), French, German, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Tagalog, Bahasa Indonesia, Thai, Greek, and Arabic

The Road Home

“Growing up in England, ten-year old Pico never wanted to go to boarding school in the Himalayas, and despite the beauty there, he struggles to fit in. When he’s bullied for insisting he’s British in spite of his Indian heritage, he runs away, determined to return to his home in London. As he journeys through a country foreign to him, Pico encounters others who mistake him for an Indian boy, forcing him to face the painful truth that the world does not see him the way he sees himself.”

This semi-autobiographical film, shot in the Himalayas around Woodstock International School, is a masterpiece. Breathtakingly beautiful, it was shortlisted for the Oscars and nominated for the BAFTAs (Britain’s Oscar equivalent) as well as winning scores of awards at film festivals around the world. But for those who understand the experience of being a Hidden Immigrant – where how you look outside doesn’t fully match how you feel inside – it is more than a lovely movie. It is also heart-stirring. It illustrates that experience with poignancy and humor, evoking laughter and often a few tears.  I have literally watched it over 100 times, and it never gets old.  

The writer and director spent the first 9 years of his life in the UK and Saudi Arabia before returning to his parents’ homeland in India. The film is loosely based on his early days at Woodstock International School.

Read more about the film or watch it online for free at the director’s website

Want your own copy, or want to watch it in another language?  The Collector’s DVD comes with extra features like commentaries, including one that tells the director’s own TCK story and how he came to make this film, *PLUS* subtitles in 14 languages (all translated by fellow TCKs).

Want to use the film in a TCK group, conference or classroom?  The Professional DVD comes with a screening license for groups of any size *PLUS* two professional commentaries, discussion questions, and more.  Purchase it from Amazon here. Parents, caregivers and educators of TCKs can order Professional DVDs at a discount by emailing Heidi Tunberg.

Dialogue:  English & Hindi (with English subtitles for the Hindi)

Subtitles (DVD version):  English (full dialogue), French, German, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Tagalog, Bahasa Indonesia, Thai, Greek, and Arabic

Patches the Moving Bear

I HIGHLY recommend this small book for children who are moving to a new location, especially one far away. It gives wise advice presented through the story of Patches, a teddy bear who moves frequently (so far, he has lived in Russia, Ecuador, Ukraine, and Paraguay).

The story isn’t so much about the process of moving as it is about how to say goodbye to a place, and how to carry your memories and use them to comfort yourself when you are homesick for your previous home(s). It closes with a question that will help young readers think about their own plan for saying goodbye – perhaps by trying some of Patches’ strategies. The practical ideas illustrated in this small book are based on sound psychology. Young readers who follow Patches’ example will be better prepared to settle into their new homes because they’ve said goodbyes well to their last one.

Unlike most children’s stories about moving which assume a move within the same country, both the story and the illustrations in this this book make it clear that Patches is making an international move. That makes it especially relevant for young Third Culture Kids moving internationally with their expat parents.

While the book is written for children, its advice would be of value to TCKs moving at any age – even as adults!

Reading level: 3 to 7 years

Swallow Me, Now!

Ten-year old Samantha is about to start her fifth school.  After living in Nepal for several years, she and her family have returned “home” to Australia, but Sam has had a hard time fitting in.

Assigned to sit at a table with the “mean girls”, Sam feels excluded. When she is teased for ineptly explaining her parents’ jobs, she defends herself with a wild story about her mom, but that only makes things worse. As she gets in deeper trying to defend the lie the mocking gets meaner and Sam becomes more and more miserable until things finally reach a breaking point.

Though the story is about a young TCK the major theme of the book is how to recognize and handle subtle and overt bullying.

Ages 8-12

Available on Kindle here

The Great Big Move: A Surprisingly Exciting Adventure

Seven-year old Katie has already lived in two states & now her family is about to move again. As she thinks about saying leaving behind her friends, favorite places & fun activities, she remembers how much she missed everyone & everything after her first move. And she realizes she’ll need to go through the sometimes-lonely process of making new friends, just like last move.

But then Katie realizes something–if she hadn’t moved the first time, she’d have missed out on all the things she loves now. And if she stays here, she’ll miss the “treasures” awaiting her in the next place. And with that, she’s ready for her next moving adventure.

Because the book is written in first-person with Katie talking to the reader, she is basically giving children advice about moving rather than narrating a story.  In addition to her positive perspective about finding “treasures” in each location, she tells how she got through the adjustment after her first move while she was still trying to make friends. The friendly, upbeat tone keeps it from feeling “preachy,” and kids can learn some helpful things about moving from brave, optimistic Katie.

The book ends with four journaling pages where children can list the treasures and friends they are leaving at their old home and those they find at their new home. It also has pages kids can tear out to write letters to their old friends.

Reading level: 4 to 8 years

Slurping Soup and Other Cultural Confusions: True stories and activities to help Third Culture Kids during transition

Of all the books I’ve reviewed for kids moving internationally, this is by far my top pick! Unlike other activity books, it is not about moving to a new house but about things kids encounter when adjusting to a new culture and living abroad.

Each of the twenty-three “chapters” covers a different challenge a TCK might face living internationally – encountering “weird” things, being stared at by strangers, missing friends, missing out on activities with extended family, feeling connected to several flags & countries and many more. Each section starts with one or two stories by TCKs, followed by a brief insight or suggestion written by the parent. An activity then helps kids express themselves, problem-solve, or gain a new perspective.

The book is illustrated with colorful children’s drawings and photos of the actual children who wrote the stories (the authors’ children). The children themselves come from all over the world and live all over the world.

As a TCK Caregiver, this is the book I give to all our parents when they move overseas for the first time with children.

You can download a PDF with four sample “chapters” at the book’s website:  http://www.slurpingsoup.com/book/preview-the-book/

Reading level: 3-12 years