Last Updated on: 3rd June 2025, 05:10 pm
A moving short film celebrating teachers who make a difference has brought international acclaim to a British speaker who once faced life in care.
Re-Story Your Life, a compelling short film based on the true story of motivational speaker Jaz Ampaw-Farr, has won the Programmer’s Choice Award at the Diversity in Cannes Film Festival.
Directed by Susanna Wright of Nosco Films, the nine-minute film is capturing hearts and headlines across the education sector. It shines a powerful light on the quiet, often-unseen ways educators can redirect a child’s life towards hope and opportunity.
Shot with poetic visuals and unflinching honesty, Re-Story Your Life recounts how five teachers helped Jaz move beyond trauma, neglect, and systemic exclusion. From a child in care to a globally recognised voice for resilience, her journey redefines how society views the teaching profession.
A Message for the Moment
At a time when many educators are leaving the profession due to burnout, the film offers a necessary reminder of their irreplaceable value. It urges viewers to see heroism not as a grand spectacle, but as simple acts of presence and belief.
Today, Ampaw-Farr is one of the UK’s most in-demand keynote speakers, with more than 3,000 talks delivered across platforms like TEDx and national arenas. Her voice is increasingly vital in conversations around human-centred leadership and trauma-informed education.
“I didn’t set out to be inspirational — I just wanted to assert educators as everyday heroes,” said Jaz Ampaw-Farr. “This film is both harrowing and hopeful. It’s a love letter to the people who saw past my behaviour and into my potential. The fact that their impact has now been recognised on the world stage? That’s everything.”
Crafting the Narrative
Produced by Nosco Films and directed by multi-award-winning filmmaker Susanna Wright, the documentary brings together narrative voice, real footage, and expressive visuals to tell a deeply human story. It asks a powerful and enduring question: What if one teacher had changed your life?
The film is currently being showcased at high-profile leadership and education conferences across the UK. Organisations can also request private viewings tailored to themes of inclusion, mental health, and staff empowerment.
What Lies Ahead
With the Cannes success building momentum, Jaz Ampaw-Farr is now preparing to release her new book, Because of You, This Is Me. The UK launch tour kicks off at the Inspiring Leadership Conference (12 June) and continues to the Festival of Education (4 July), where the film will feature.
In July, she will be honoured by both Hull University (15 July) and Bishop Grosseteste University in Lincoln (30 July), receiving honorary doctorates for her role in transforming lives through education. Her summer will conclude with the premiere of her first comedy show at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival (20 August) under the banner of The Glitter Challenge, raising funds for the late Jo Fletcher Cross.
