Holroyd High School Principal, Dorothy Hoddinott.
Award winning documentary Switch on the Night will have a special screening and Q and A at the Giant Dwarf, Sydney, in a bid to raise money for Alejandra Canales’ new documentary, A Matter of Principle.
Canale's directorial debut, Switch on the Night, is about the experience of kids in detention (42 mins) and will screen on May 31.
The film is the winner of the CRC Dendy Award, Sydney Film Festival 2005 and Best Documentary ATOM award.
It was also nominated for the IF Independent Spirit Award received a special mention from Film Critics of Australia.
Her new documentary, A Matter of Principle, is a feature documentary about hope, resilience and legacy,
Directed by Canales and produced by Isabel Perez (AACTA Award winner), the film will convey the achievements by Holroyd High School Principal, Dorothy Hoddinott, UN Human Rights Medal Winner.
Hoddinott's career has been committed to removing the barriers to learning.
She is a formidable spokesperson for the rights of the child and of refugees.
The documentary has recently completed development, and is now raising funds for production.
The screening will be followed by a Q&A session with Hoddinott and some of Holroyd’s former students, featured in Switch on the Night.
Current year 12 students, involved in A Matter of Principle, will also be in attendance.
Chris Bath, journalist, presenter, television personality and former Holroyd High School student, will MC the event.
The ticket includes a glass of champagne and an opportunity to bid at the silent auction, which will include artwork from, Victor Rubin.
Over the past 21 years, Hoddinott has defied the odds by turning Holroyd High School, a school of under-achievers, into a school of academic success.
She has fought to secure equal opportunities for some of the most disadvantaged and diverse young voices in our society.
The school has developed educational programs that saw 54 percent of Holroyd students gain university entry, in 2014, compared to the national average of 30 percent. Dorothy is a committed campaigner for refugee children who comprise over 60 percent of her school student population – one of the highest in the country.
Hoddinott is set to retire soon, leaving her teaching staff with serious concerns. Will her legacy survive? Under a political climate, heavy with anxiety over asylum seekers and refugees, it’s rare to find stories inspired by hope.