Police and Immigrant representation

In the video clip the police and the immigrants were represented very differently by the producers but why?

Why represent the police in this way?

·         To try and make the villains (antagonists)

      ·         The produces want the audience to side with the immigrants

·         To add sense of realism and show the brutality of reality. It avoids an easy narrative resolution

·         Establish a defence between the police and the immigrants.

·         Represented as faceless, unthinking and robots

The police-helpful

Or doing a job

Why represent the immigrants in this way?

·         To make the audience sympathise with them so we feel more emotion when Ibrahim is taken away

·         It shows that the immigrants are treated unfairly and seen as different from others. This also highlights their lack of power

Immigrats-one of us

Or the enemy

What stereotypes are being adhered to or subverted?

·         Police-Normally the protectors of society that are friendly, approachable and there to help but in this clip they are shown to destroy lives and are nonchalant, just doing a job.

·         Immigrants-Seen as unclean, dehumanised, have large families, unskilled however the clip   contradicts these things and Adam is clearly very skilled, caring and shown at the end, religious.

·         Gino is based on a stereotype. He is a waiter with a big moustache that every Italian obviously has and a stereotypical Italian name. This is because he only appears on screen briefly and helps the audience understand his character if they are already familiar with the stereotype.

Can you hypothesise the purpose behind the mediation of this text?

·         To inform, show the reality of the situation immigrants find themselves in even if they are well educated

·         To entertain the viewers

·         Challenge preconceptions about immigrants and the police within our society


This video contains sterotypes of typical Germans but if you are a football fan it will bring back painfull memories but it is also funny - http://vimeo.com/13002205