Films Focus on Immigrants Crossing Boundaries, Adapting in American Society

A series of four films exploring the changing nature of American society and the experiences of those who cross real and perceived boundaries is free and open to the public every Friday in February at Utah State University.

 

Films will be shown in Old Main room 121 and begin at 6 p.m. every Friday beginning Feb. 5. The schedule for the film festival includes Spellbound, Feb. 5; God Grew Tired of Us, Feb. 12; The Border Wall, Feb. 19; and The Least of These, Feb. 26.

 

Each film addresses different aspects of immigrants’ adaptations to American Society. All films are free and open to the public, but seating is limited. As two of the films are not rated and deal with mature themes, parents are asked to exercise caution.

 

Spellbound (2002) (G) celebrates the diversity of America through the children competing for the 1999 National Spelling Bee championship in Washington D.C. Three of the eight finalists are from immigrant families.

 

God Grew Tired of Us (2006) (PG) follows three Sudanese boys, refugees from Sudan’s bloody civil war, as they try to adjust to life in the U.S. coming from unspeakable conditions.

 

The Border Wall (2009) (Not Rated) focuses on illegal immigration between Mexico and the American southwest and presents a local perspective on a project that many see as a simplistic, hugely expensive answer to a problem.

 

The Least of These (2009) (Not Rated) takes a penetrating look at the T. Don Hutto Residential Center, a former prison that re-opened in 2006 as a prototype family detention center. The facility houses immigrant children and their parents from all over the world who are awaiting asylum hearings or deportation proceedings.

 

USU’s Department of Art, Caine School of the Arts, and College of Humanities Arts and Social Sciences host the film festival.

 

The film festival is part of Crossing Boundaries, a year-long project promoting unity and diversity across community. Crossing Boundaries, hosted by the Caine School of the Arts and the College of Humanities Arts and Social Sciences, is made possible with the support of the Obert C. and Grace Tanner Foundation, the Utah Arts Council and the Utah Humanities Council.

 

For more information contact Scott Foster, exhibitions coordinator for USU’s Department of Art, by email at scott.foster@usu.edu or by phone, 435-797-7373.

 

Writer: Courtney Lewis, Caine School of the Arts, 797-9203, courtney.lewis@usu.edu