The City in Film Reflection

CHST 118: The City in History The City in Film – Reflection Guidelines

Length: 750 words (roughly 3 pages) Due Date: The written portion of this assignment can be handed in on a date that is suitable for you, but must be submitted to me by Tuesday, June 1 @1:00pm, on D2L. Assignments will not be accepted after that date/time. Grade: This assignment is worth 10% of your final mark

The Films/Documentary The media, including films and documentaries, can play a role in shaping the identity of an urban centre. For outsiders, they can act as a significant source for understanding a city, and for locals, they can help to shed new light on the city in which they inhabit, particularly as they relate to either historical or current issues surrounding that city. For this assignment, you are required to evaluate and reflect on a historical documentary or film (on a topic or issue that took place prior to 2001) that revolves heavily around one major urban centre. Although your source has to cover a period prior to 2001, it is acceptable to choose a recently created source. The Written Assignment: After you view your chosen film or documentary you must submit a reflection on it. The questions below are meant to guide you while viewing your source, and in writing your assignment. Include each section in your assignment, although the majority of your assignment should be devoted to parts two and three. 1. Explain: What city did you choose and why? Have you been to this urban centre in the past or aspire to visit in the future? What source did you choose and why? Who created it and when? 2. Evaluate: Does your film or documentary address a particular issue in relation to the city it focuses on, or does it provide a broader history of it? Briefly summarize the plot or content of your source, and highlight specific lines or images that contribute to its meaning. Consider the choices directors make in telling a particular story. Did your source provide you with enough knowledge of this city, the issue and/or history it discusses to leave you feeling satisfied? Could it have included further evidence, and if so, what? Overall, what are the strengths and weaknesses of this source? 3. Reflect Use this section to discuss your opinion of you film or documentary. To what extent are its contents important or significant for understanding broader urban issues and history? Does it touch on any topics or themes that could be relevant to today’s urban climate? To what extent does the media shape perceptions of the city?

Please note: There is no single way to answer the above question; I want to know that you watched and reflected on your source, its contents and relationship to broader urban history. Evaluation of your assignment will be based on the following: 1. how well you understand the film or documentary; 2. the thoughtfulness of your analysis; 3. the clarity of your prose; and 4. spelling and grammar. Papers can be written in the first person, but should be written in an essay format, in paragraphs, with complete sentences, in 12-point font and double-spaced. Citations are not necessary, as you should not include additional sources, but include the full bibliographic information of your source so I can access it. Include a cover page with a brief title (i.e. your film and city), your name and student number, the course title, my name and the date. Please save your assignment under your name (i.e. Joe_Smith_Assignment.docx).

Choosing a Source

1. Choose a historical film or documentary that concentrates on one major urban centre. It can be older or more recent, but must focus on any issue or time frame that falls prior to 2001, when our course content ends. 2. The film or documentary must be at least 30 minutes in length, from a reliable source and can be recently created. If you choose a documentary that has multiple parts or episodes, as many do, choose just one part. 3. Your film or documentary will preferably focus on a city we discuss in the course, such as Toronto, New York City, Chicago, Los Angeles, London, Paris, Berlin or Moscow, but you may choose another urban centre if you like. Although you do not need my approval, I do recommend it. 4. Please provide full bibliographic information for your film or documentary, including the producer/director, full title (and episode title if applicable), date it was created, and if possible, a link for it. 5. There are many films and documentaries to choose from reliable sources such as PBS, CBC, the National Film Board of Canada (NFB), BBC, CNN, or even on Netflix and Amazon Prime. Below is an excellent starting point for possible options: The American Experience (PBS): https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/films/?streaming=0&category=cities&sort_by =featured