Freedom+Writers

=**Film Study: "Freedom Writers**"=



I really enjoyed watching this movie. I hadn't seen it until the in-class screening, and I loved the message that anyone can change their life for the better if they have the right motivation. It also made me feel good that being a teacher can really make a difference!


 * "The Freedom Writers Diary"** book itself is available at the school library, and your local public library.

FYI, the name "Freedom Writers" was influenced by Ms. G's students studying the Freedom Riders, the Civil Rights activists who rode buses across state lines into the Southern United States in the early 1960's to protest and draw attention to unlawful segregationary practices occuring in the South.

Here's some interesting supplementary material about the film: An interview with Erin Gruwell and Maria Reyes (the character of Eva is based on Maria) The official site for the Freedom Writers film ... a pretty good site, featuring video clips of Erin Gruwell and a photo gallery from the movie. The site is also good if you want to hear that "I Have a Dream" song one more time ;)

In the film, the students read about Anne Frank and fundraise to bring Miep Gies to their school. I discovered that Miep Gies turned 100 this year, and even has her own website!! - @http://www.miepgies.nl/en/

In class, I provided you with a few short excerpts from The Diary of Anne Frank. The book should be available at your local library if you're interested in reading it in full. The "real-life" Freedom Writers also read this book: Zlata's Diary: A Child's Life in Sarajevo - another real diary written by a young girl living in Sarajevo during the Bosnian War of 1992-1995.
 * Supplementary Reading:**