People and Cultures of the America

Film Analysis Midterm Question–minimum 1000 to 1200 words:

Compare and contrast the role that kinship plays in at least 2 films (Gentefied episodes, A Better Life, Sin Nombre, Roma).  Consider kinship from a variety of different angles, including the formation of kinship bonds you forge or claim for yourself, struggles and tensions within and between families, and the threat or fear of losing kinship bonds.  Consider the impact of race, class, gender, ethnicity, and sexuality on the formation and transmission of kinship bonds.

Grades will be based on the strength of your argument and the quality of the specific film examples you bring to your analysis.  Your essay should reflect a close, critical read of the films, and you need to use plenty of specific film examples as evidence in your essay, but you do not have to include time stamps from the films.  Instead, you can assume the reader has a working knowledge of the films from recent viewing, and your examples need to be clear to a recent viewer.

Here are the film links:

1. Gentefied (Episode 1): https://www.netflix.com/watch/80198136?trackId=14170287&tctx=2%2C0%2C919be318-1ede-46d1-853f-07a3fb3bcbab-146164461%2C8d1d4880-6fae-4473-aee3-b51822a13acf_140019709X3XX1601171073677%2C%2C

Gentefied (Episode 3): https://www.netflix.com/watch/81021188?trackId=13752289&tctx=-97%2C-97%2C%2C%2C%2C

Gentefied (Episode 8): https://www.netflix.com/watch/81021188?trackId=13752289&tctx=-97%2C-97%2C%2C%2C%2C

2. A Better Life: https://tubitv.com/movies/300831/a-better-life

3. Sin Nombre: https://digitalcampus-swankmp-net.libproxy1.usc.edu/usc281266/play/7f9a7dbd25ba85a1

4. Roma: https://www.netflix.com/watch/80240715?trackId=13752289&tctx=0%2C1%2C256450e373a6bf9947489cb54dee62d801799c61%3Af39554a081613cf64aa16703abda2fa302a7c3e8%2C256450e373a6bf9947489cb54dee62d801799c61%3Af39554a081613cf64aa16703abda2fa302a7c3e8%2Cunknown%2C