Skip to main content

Film :

Film LA 92: Film and Discussion Guide

  • Grade Level 9th-12th Grade
  • Time Period 1990 - 2009
Open Resource (opens in new tab)

Introduction

In Los Angeles in 1992, after a brief car chase, police pulled unarmed Rodney King from his car and brutally beat him. The incident was captured by a photographer living nearby and his video was released to the news media, unleashing an unparalleled series of marches, protests, and rioting. In news footage and photographs from that time, the critically-acclaimed film LA 92, from Academy Award winners Dan Lindsay and TJ Martin, tells the story of King’s arrest, beating, and trial, and the subsequent events that shook the city of Los Angeles to its core.

Resource includes a discussion guide that explores the roots of the violence, the typical characteristics of riots, attempts at police reform, and the relevance of King’s story for our time. A topical film that will touch off animated discussion of contemporary policing issues.

Essential Questions

  • What does it mean to be in solidarity with other communities of color?

  • In the United States, how have Asian Americans been used to further marginalize Black and Brown communities?

  • How has interracial solidarity benefitted Asian Americans and vice versa?

  • What is the value of fostering solidarity with one another?

  • How can you be in solidarity with other communities?