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INFORMATION SHEET (printer-friendly version) The Program Critics Stephen Holden (The New York Times) and Roger Ebert ("At the Movies") compared THE CITY (LA CIUDAD) to the films of such Italian neo-realist directors as Roberto Rossellini. With its breathtaking black-and-white photography, this powerful film tells four heartbreaking stories of Latin American immigrants struggling to make a community, and sometimes just survive, in a cold, impersonal city. Filmed over the course of several years using nonprofessional actors - in many cases immigrants from Mexico, Ecuador, Peru, Chile, Honduras, Nicaragua and Costa Rica - THE CITY takes an unprecedented look at the daily lives of recent immigrants who are virtually invisible in American society. The film is a much-needed antidote to the current stereotyping that denigrates both Latinos and immigrants. THE CITY enjoyed a limited theatrical release in 1999. The critical response was overwhelmingly positive. The Making of THE CITY (LA CIUDAD) "Community collaboration is the most important aspect of my work," said director David Riker. Riker approached the making of THE CITY in a truly innovative way. After learning Spanish, he worked for over a year in Latino neighborhoods, handing out early morning coffee to day laborers. Eventually he gained the community's trust, and they became an integral part of the film's development process. The nonprofessional actors chosen from the community to be a part of the film attended dramatic workshops where they could creatively express their own stories and prepare for the rigors of filmmaking. |
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