Back
to Film Festival
Film
Festival - La Ciudad (The City)
Wednesday
- December 1, 2004
MAC
Playhouse - 3:30 pm-
6:15 PM
College
Now Course - ESL BW
Hosted by: Dr. Robert Singer, Professor of English
College Now English Course Coordinator
Dr. Marcia Babbitt, College Now ESL Course Coordinator
About
the Movie: La
Ciudad (The City)
Director, David Riker 1998 - Rating NR
La Ciudad shows us
the oppressive lives and living conditions of recent Latino immigrants in
New York City in four separate but linked stories. Many of these people are
victims of abuse because of poor language skills, unemployment, basic prejudices,
and other reasons. This film is sad and moving, but at times, hopeful, and
features real, recent immigrants to New York.
About
the Presenter: Professor Marcia Babbitt
Professor Marcia Babbitt is Co-Director of ESL at Kingsborough
Community College and director of the Intensive ESL Program, a content-based
interdisciplinary program designed to accelerate the progress of entering
ESL students. Marcia holds a Ph.D. in Linguistics from the CUNY Graduate Center.
She feels La Ciudad is very relevant to her students as it explores the difficulties
of new immigrants to America.
Extra
Credit Assignments
I-SAMPLE
ACT ESSAY
A New York
congressperson has introduced a bill in the legislature that would disallow
the children of illegal immigrants to attend public schools in the State of
New York. The congressperson has stated that a free education is simply too
expensive and that it is unfair for taxpayers to pay for non-citizens. Critics
of the bill state that it is unfair to punish children and that it is covertly
racist, since most of the affected children are non-white. This bill would
even include the children of immigrant parents who work and pay taxes but
who are still not citizens. According to the congressperson, the children
who would be affected would have to attend private schools or at least have
their parents file papers to become legal residents and then wait for them
to be processed. Only the children of legal immigrants would be allowed to
attend public schools.
You have been asked to write a letter to your local congressperson in which
you will express your views concerning the issue of disallowing the children
of illegal immigrants to attend public schools in the State of New York. Fully
discuss your view; you may refer to other opinions or even the film La
Ciudad.
II-MINI-RESEARCH SKILLS REVIEW
THIS IS NOT
A RESEARCH PAPER - IT IS A REARCH-ORIENTED EXPERIENCE IN WHICH STUDENTS GATHER
AND CATEGORIZE INFORMATION. THEY CAN PREPARE OUTLINES, NOTE-CARDS, A BIBLIOGRAPHY,
CITE REFERENCES (quote, paraphrase, summarize), OR PRACTICE ANY COMBINATION
OF THESE SKILLS ASSOCIATED WITH PREPARING A RESEARCH PAPER. Utilizing the
library and its resources, and/or material from the Internet, prepare an investigative
project that focuses on any one of these topics associated with the film,
La Ciudad:
a - immigration
to New York City - 1900
b - immigration to New York City - 2000
c - history of photography
d - popular Spanish actors/actresses
e - popular Spanish music
III-STANDARD COLLEGE ESSAY
Many issues
arise from the analysis and discussion of the film, La Ciudad. Some
of the more personal issues involve how boys and girls relate to each other,
problems with attending school, trying to find employment, writing letters
to your family back in the old country, and more. Some broader, social issues
discussed in the film involve unfair labor practices, second-class housing
and education, racial prejudice, and loneliness. There are other related personal
and social issues arising from the analysis of this film, and these are only
some suggested and significant ideas and themes to consider.
In a full-length essay (approximately 400-500 words), later to be revised
for content and correctness, discuss any of the issues raised in the film
La Ciudad
that you consider
to be of special interest either for yourself or for society. Explain why
and how these issues are significant not only in the film but also in relationship
to your own life, American society, or both.