ESL on DVD
We’ve written a lot on the blog about ESL and immigration issues. Well, now the two have come together on film, with the February 12 DVD release of the award-winning ESL: English as a Second Language.
The synopsis on the film’s website describes it as the story of “two people from very different sides of the same culture”. Director Youssef Delara says that his initial idea was to create an ESL classroom and follow the highs and lows of nine of its characters. Eventually, though, he decided to follow primarily two of them, an illegal immigrant in search of a better life, and a “second generation Latina forced to attend the class to work off community service hours”.
Have a look at the website for more, and if you’ve seen the film, why not tell us what you thought below…
March 19th, 2008 at 8:40 pm
Thanks for mentioning this - I only heard about it here and just finished watching it.
I liked it as a movie and also thought it highlighted some important things.
It isn’t much about ESL or the official language debate - but I personally think that debate is very connected to many people’s perceptions of immigrants and their experiences, and in that way it is connected.
I wish there was more focus on the ESL classroom, and would be happy if the director came back to make that film about the lives of nine students!
Highly recommended! Thanks again for mentioning it here.