Ellis Island

Series: Americans: A Nation of Immigrants Series

Duration: 12

Year Published: 1972

Creator: David Wolper Productions

Format: 16mm

Color: B&W

Sound: sound

Description: Portrays, using period photographs and old film footage, some of the conditions and treatment experienced by immigrants who entered the United States through Ellis Island. Demonstrates the cursory five-minute medical and mental tests which determined who were allowed to enter and who faced deportation. Describes the prospects which faced those who made it through the entrance maze as life in tenements and sweatshops or on the street., A reflection on the immigrant experience using the abandoned structures at Ellis Island to connect the past with the present. Actors reconstruct the processes of entry amidst the decaying artifacts of the Ellis Island station. Evoking ethnic diversity, they confront the camera in poses reminiscent of documentary photographs. As the ghosts of these once new Americans remain in deserted halls and holding areas, a contemporary park ranger guides tourists through these dilapidated remains filled with memories.

Complete Record: Portrays, using period photographs and old film footage, some of the conditions and treatment experienced by immigrants who entered the United States through Ellis Island. Demonstrates the cursory five-minute medical and mental tests which determined who were allowed to enter and who faced deportation. Describes the prospects which faced those who made it through the entrance maze as life in tenements and sweatshops or on the street., Young filmmakers explore Ellis Island, utilizing interviews with immigrants who passed through the Center. Footage of the island as it appears today is contrasted with stills taken at the time that Ellis Island was the nation's main point of immigration. , A reflection on the immigrant experience using the abandoned structures at Ellis Island to connect the past with the present. Actors reconstruct the processes of entry amidst the decaying artifacts of the Ellis Island station. Evoking ethnic diversity, they confront the camera in poses reminiscent of documentary photographs. As the ghosts of these once new Americans remain in deserted halls and holding areas, a contemporary park ranger guides tourists through these dilapidated remains filled with memories. NOTE: Two (or more) records have been merged together to create this data.