The heated debate over bilingual
education
usually takes place in courtrooms, at academic conferences and in
editorial missives. At its most vitriolic the "English only" camp skews
toward xenophobia and racism, while the opposition at times sounds
utopian themes of American global economic resurgence with the aid of
multilingual classrooms. Often neglected in this discourse is the
firsthand experience of students, an oversight that veteran
documentarians Marcia Jarmel and Ken Schneider beautifully rectify with
their latest effort.
Closely following four very different
local
public-schoolers through an academic year, they draw on subtle nuances
of the kids' stories to illustrate the complex shades and permutations
of bilingual schooling. Two children are placed in immersion programs
to retain their native tongues while learning English, and the other
two are in the reverse situation. Their parents list both familiar and
surprising reasons for enrolling their children, but each remains a
strong proponent of the programs despite criticism from extended
family, friends and a loud chorus of English-only activists. Even while
dismissing common barbs, the families must confront unique challenges
both humorous and serious.
With San Francisco becoming the first
city
to mandate access to bilingual opportunities for all public
schoolchildren, this thought-provoking documentary could hardly be
timelier.
—Ilya
Tovbis
San Francisco
International Film Festival
