An essay about a Latin American film. Your project is to set that film in its national context.

You are required to make an essay about a Latin American film. Your project is to set that film in its national context. You will need to do research on the country of origin (for the filmmaker and film). Why is this film representative of Argentina or Mexico? What is uniquely Mexican about this film? Refer to “Types of Film Papers” in the “writing your papers” section of the blackboard site (course documents).  How has this director made an important contribution to the art of cinema, the cinema of Latin America, and the cinema of the country of origin?

Choose a film (any film made by Latin American Director that has been released in theaters since 1927) you wish to write about

Research the national context for your film. It may also be important to include historical context.

Research your topic (books, periodicals, newspapers, and selected web sources). Look for writing about your film.  See if these writings give any relevant information about your film and its historical/national context.

View your film several times

Develop a one-sentence thesis, this thesis further narrows your investigation. What is the Mexican film renaissance? Who are the key players and what were/are the factors that spawned this movement?

Sketch and outline your argument. This allows you to lay down a road map of your paper that you will fill in as you write.

Produce a topic sentence to begin every paragraph

Support your assertions with evidence. Your most immediate evidence is the film itself. Be specific: “In the opening scene of Memento, the polaroid image develops in reverse, setting the stage for the nonlinear structure to come”. Refer to specific scenes in your film to support your points

One thousand words or so