Winter. Somewhere between Tehran and Winnipeg. Negin and Nazgol find a sum of money frozen deep within the sidewalk ice and try to find a way to get it out. Massoud leads a group of befuddled tourists upon an increasingly-strange walking tour of Winnipeg historic sites. Matthew leaves his job at the Québec government and embarks upon a mysterious journey to visit his estranged mother.

How do you reconcile the expectations of the education system, personal aspirations and the student’s culture and heritage? These fundamental questions are central to Aisha’s inspiring story. The extraverted, creative Kwakwaka’wakw girl doesn’t hesitate to question the institutional capacity to consider her ambitions. With the support of her mother, Gunargie, who was sent to residential school, Aisha wants to leave public school, which is poorly adapted to her temperament and cultural preoccupations. Revealing a sharp observational sense and driven by an energetic protagonist, Another Word for Learning asks probing questions about the foundations of education in Canada, while painting a touching portrait of an inspiring mother-daughter relationship.