Tag Archives: screening

Life on the Line screening at San Jose Public Library, February 23, 2018

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screening audienceLife on the Line recently screened at the San Jose Public Library’s beautiful downtown King Library, a facility shared with San José State University. The Friday afternoon screening was introduced by Jill Bourne, the director of the San José Public Library System, and was attended by approximately 80 community members (youth and adults). A lively discussion about immigration followed with Co-Director Jen Gilomen, who was in attendance. Volunteers from the Santa Clara County Rapid Response Network, which assists community members impacted by ICE raids in and around San José, were also there to answer audience questions about recent ICE enforcement activity in the region and how voluntee rs could help immigrants to understand their rights.

DVD copies of Life on the LineThe library had several copies of Life on the Line available for check-out, which are now part of their collection, and at the end of the screening, a staff member of California State Assembly Member Ash Kalra’s office stood to thank the filmmakers for their exemplary work and presented them with a Certificate of Recognition. Life on the Line Co-Director Jen Gilomen pictured with certificate and staff member from California Assemblymember Ash KalraAssemblymember Kalra (D-San José) is the first Indian-American to serve in the California State Legislature.

The screening and resulting community conversation was a great model for public libraries to engage both youth and adults on complex topics surrounding immigration. To obtain a copy of Life on the Line for your library or institution, click here to purchase from New Day Films.

Faith-based conversations about immigration at Chapman University and the University of Southern California

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We recently held two faith-based conversations about immigration, one at Chapman University and the other at the University of Southern California, in conjunction with the Office of Religious Life. Students from the campus’ Catholic Center at USC spoke about the film and its resonance as a catalyst for dialogue around the morals and ethics behind the topic of immigration. Students and professors at Chapman University had a lively discussion about the actual state of immigration legislation here in California, and what the future may hold for those living “lives on the line” in this state.

Students at the Office of Religious Life at USC discuss faith and immigration.

Students at the Office of Religious Life at USC discuss faith and immigration.

“Life on the Line” at Breakthrough Greater Boston (MA)

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Breakthrough Cambridge

Students at Breakthrough  write letters to Kimberly.

On Monday, March 25th, 2014, we screened “Life on the Line” with the students of Breakthrough, an organization based in Cambridge and Boston, Massachusetts, whose mission is to transform urban education for students and teachers. Students of Breakthrough come from a variety of backgrounds, cultures, and countries, and immigration is very much a part of their daily lives. The kids who watched “Life on the Line” come from Haiti, Bangladesh, China, Ethiopia, Vietnam, Somalia, Palestine, Tibet, the Dominican Republic, Eritrea, and Puerto Rico.

As part of our afternoon with Breakthrough, students wrote “Letters to Kimberly,” sharing their own personal stories:

You are an inspiration! I am separated from my father too, but not for the same reasons. Your story made me realize that there’s a lot I take for granted, made me never want to give up. Do you ever want to give up?

-Lorra

I am Asian- American, mostly Vietnamese. I always try to embrace and enhance my culture even though there’s this American culture as well. I’m not so comfortable calling myself American since I’ve had a difficult time defining my own identity. All these years I’ve been bulied and teased because how I look and my different culture, just because I wasn’t a type of skin color. At first I was ashamed that I didn’t fit in, but I’ve learned to take pride in it.

-Jessica

You inspire me. Because of you, I will no longer take school for granted.

-Lora

My culture, my nationality, is Haitian, but I’m known as a Haitian-American and I speak Creole and English at home and English at school. My mom and dad are from Haiti and I was born in America. I identify as American, because that is who I am.

-Jeremy

Life on the Line at Desert View High School in Tucson

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Life on the Line at a high school in Southern Arizona

Life on the Line at a high school in Southern Arizona

On Monday morning, April 14, 2014, Life on the Line was featured for a school assembly at Desert View High School in Southeast Tucson, a school with a large Latino population and a diverse student body.  The screening was arranged by Congressman Raul Grijalva‘s office; the Congressman serves the 3rd district of Arizona on the U.S. House of Representatives and is interested in the issues represented in Life on the Line.

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Co-director Jen Gilomen kicks off a Q&A discussion at Desert View High School

The film screened to its toughest and most engaged audience yet — a crowd of 350 high school students. A discussion with co-director Jen Gilomen followed the film, and the students asked numerous insightful questions, such as “how did making this film change you, personally?” and “what do you hope Americans will learn from watching the film?” The students spontaneously erupted in applause during the post-screening discussion.

The discussion proved that the film is a useful tool for engaging students and starting a conversation with them about issues that are close to home — young people from immigrant and multi-ethnic backgrounds, immigration, and youth forced to manage many responsibilities and worries, both in and out of school, as a result of their family members’ immigration statuses.