The Teachers' Protest

This is a two-part series, but attendance to both events isn't mandatory! You may attend the film screening, the lecture or both. Bundle the events and save!

The Teachers' Protest Film Screening

February 20, 2026

The Teachers’ Protest tells the remarkable true story of collective resistance in 1942 Occupied Norway, when teachers were ordered to join the Nazi Teachers’ League and teach Nazi curriculum. Refusing to compromise the integrity of education or the futures of their students, 8,000 teachers chose resistance, even as they faced dismissal, imprisonment, and exile. The Nazi regime answered their defiance by arresting 1,000 educators and sending many to brutal prison camps above the Arctic Circle. English filmmaker Jon Seal brings this powerful history to life through a compelling blend of archival footage, interviews, and artful animation, revealing a war story fought not with weapons, but with conscience and courage.

This screening will feature an introduction by Erik Brakstad. His grandfather, Edvard Brakstad, was among the teachers arrested and sent north, and his illegal diary from the prison camp in Kirkenes became one of the inspirations for the film.

Teacher’s Defiance: A Family Story of Resistance in WWII Norway

March 6, 2026

Edvard Brakstad was among the educators who took part in the Teachers’ Protest, a collective act of moral courage that challenged the forced Nazification of Norway’s schools. While imprisoned at a concentration camp above the arctic circle outside of Kirkenes, Edvard kept an illegal diary documenting his experiences. It is an extraordinary firsthand account of resistance, resilience, and conviction in the face of oppression.

His grandson, Erik Brakstad holds the stories of his father, grandfather, and uncle who each were each arrested by the Nazis at different times during the war. The Brakstad family story is set within a broader movement of collective resistance and highlights the impact of educators who refused to surrender their values.

In addition to his historical work, Erik is deeply engaged in cultural and educational programming. He has served as staff at several Norwegian language camps and now travels twice a year to Minnesota to lead Skogfjorden for Adults in Bemidji, and most recently co-founding Solheim Nordvest, a Nordic Northwest sponsored Norwegian language camp for adults in southwest Washington. Based in Portland, Oregon, Erik has also spent the past decade working as a construction trainer for Tivnu, a social justice–focused gap year program, alongside running his own general contracting business.

Cost

Film Screening

General Admission: $20

Member Admission: $15

Arts for All (Requires valid Oregon Trail EBT Card): $5

Lecture

General Admission: $25

Member Admission: $20

Arts for All (Requires valid Oregon Trail EBT Card): $5

Bundle

General Admission: $40

Member Admission: $30

(Please note: all sales are final)

Film Screening & Bundle Tickets

Lecture Tickets