May 23: Slumdog Millionaire (2008) dir. Danny Boyle

I can certainly imagine some teachers making use of scenes from Slumdog Millionaire when teaching about the lives of people in the bustees of Mumbai. 

The use of the word 'slum' is problematic along with other aspects of the film potentially.

A review from Curbed explores some of those concerns:

"Is Danny Boyle’s film, set in Mumbai, a look at “the real India,” as the protagonist Jamal Malik (Dev Patel) says in one scene, or poverty porn? The movie tells Jamal’s life story through flashbacks while he’s a contestant on India’s version of Who Wants to be a Millionaire. The show’s producers can’t believe a member of Mumbai’s impoverished lowest caste is smart enough to make it all the way to the final question, but his life experiences—running through the city’s labyrinthine streets, train hopping, hustling, trespassing in unfinished buildings, working as a tea server at a call center—have afforded him all the knowledge he needs. Of course, this Hollywood-meets-Bollywood movie takes artistic license, but the scenes of India’s frenetic cities and emerald countrysides are captivating"

One thing that is problematic is the term 'slum' to refer to the houses of people.

Here's the trailer for the film:

Have you used the film?