The circus saved Ildiko Trien鈥檚 life.
As a child in Soviet-era Romania, Trien lived in the shadow of fear. Her father had been imprisoned in the gulags, forced labor camps during Stalin鈥檚 鈥渞eign of terror鈥� that were notorious for their brutality. Her family lost their home and any sense of stability, left to navigate a world where hope was fleeting.
But in chaos, she found an unlikely refuge: the circus.
The circus helped her remain invisible, carried her across borders, and ultimately opened the door to freedom and a career in the fashion industry.
Now, decades later, is helping students across Florida better understand the meaning of freedom Her story is featured in , an educational series created by the 樱花视频鈥檚 College of Education and 樱花视频 Innovative Education Studios. The project blends cinematic storytelling with firsthand accounts of people who fled authoritarian regimes and found refuge in America.
Originally commissioned by the Florida Department of Education, the project brings together award-winning educators and an Emmy-winning production team to create deeply personal learning experiences for students.
鈥淭he stories offer students a deeply personal lens on the principles of democracy and civic responsibility,鈥� said B谩rbara Cruz, professor of social science education and curriculum consultant on the project. 鈥淭hese are real people who risked everything for freedom.鈥�
Turning Heads Beyond the Classroom
The work is also receiving national attention for its cinematic presentation, storytelling, and editing.
The collaboration between 樱花视频 faculty and the creative team at InEd Studios has drawn widespread recognition. The series won two Suncoast Regional Emmy Awards in 2023. It won a Davey award from the Academy of Interactive and Visual Arts that same year and this week, the . More recently, it was nominated for a Webby Award, placing InEd Studios in the same category as digital content giants FX, Hulu, and Tubi.
鈥淭he nomination is a powerful example of how university-based production teams can create content that stands shoulder-to-shoulder with the biggest names in entertainment,鈥� said Jared Brown, director of InEd Studios.
The video featuring Trien鈥檚 story challenged the team to stretch their creative vision.
鈥淲e started with a straightforward plan: interviews, archival footage, her voice,鈥� said Gary Granger, senior producer. 鈥淏ut during editing, a team member suggested reenactments. Suddenly, we were imagining her escape unfolding on screen鈥攏ot just in words. It was a leap that transformed the film.鈥�
The team handled pre-production remotely, interviewing Trien virtually and scouting locations in New York using Google Maps. The final film delivers an emotional, cinematic experience that resonates deeply with its young audiences. , Florida鈥檚 official platform for standards-aligned teaching materials. Each video includes lessons developed by 樱花视频 education faculty and meets state civics benchmarks.
鈥淭he feedback we鈥檝e received from educators has been incredible,鈥� said Cruz. 鈥淭he teachers have been using the resources in their classrooms and the students are invested in each one. They have a lot of great follow-up questions and want more.鈥�