Freedom Writers 2007
23-year-old idealistic young teacher Erin Gruwell (Hilary Swank) enters Wilson High School on the first day and is ready to embrace the brand new world she has entered. Her class includes troubled students from diverse racial and social backgrounds. At first glance, the only thing that unites them is the hatred they have for each other. They seem to have no hope or expectations beyond living day by day. Their categorical refusal to actively participate in classes is evident. Despite this, Erin tries various methods every day to catch their attention. But soon enough, the reality of the street life becomes the focus of the film. A heated discussion erupts in the classroom about the consequences of a racist gang conflict witnessed by a Hispanic gang member in Erin’s class and a racist cartoon banned during class. The students force the young teacher to listen to them. They want her to take off her idealistic glasses and think about the stories of young survivors of unannounced wars on the streets. Erin starts to communicate with the students. She brings music and The Diary of Anne Frank, another form of ghetto literature, to the classroom. With these simple tools, she begins to open the eyes of students who suffer from intolerant environments and are constantly at war with the world outside their communities.
