This reaction shot shows that she is Asian because she is shown here on a computer and Asian people are interested in technology and she is scared because someone has just told her that the immigration officers have arrived and she doesn't want to lose her job. She is also submissive as she keeps saying 'thank you to everyone throughout the clip', for instance when Adam saves a diabetic woman.
2. Are people from different ethnic backgrounds shown as different interests, personalities, attitudes, behaviours? If so, how?
The white receptionist wants to keep the immigrants safe so she gets Ben to tell everyone that the immigration officers have arrived, bot the immigrants and the receptionist have an interest of keeping the immigrants safe and alive. However, the behaviour of the immigrants is different to the officers as they are scared and don't want to get caught whereas the officers want to take the immigrants out of the hotel as they want British people to have British jobs. When Abraham is captured by the officers everyone is scared and begs the officers to let him go but they don't because they have an interest of keeping their jobs and not going back empty handed. This close up shot of Ben pans around as he is runs, trying to help the immigrants hide and not get arrested.
3. Is their ethnicity represented as being important in their life?
For white people, they are seen as very important because they are shown as good and pure but some white people can be racist which shows a level of authority but most people don't like racists. Black people aren't very important as they are seen as strange and poor and also as criminals. However, with Asian people, some are shown as submissive which can be interpreted that they don't have a voice so they aren't important but other are smart and intelligent and good with technology. In this shot it shows that they are hiding, portraying their worthlessness having to hide in a closet.
4. Are people from particular ethnicities portrayed as being better, more powerful, than others?
People from particular ethnicities are portrayed as being more powerful as the white people in Hotel Babylon are receptionists or managers whereas the Asian and black people work downstairs where the customers can't see them and most of them are cleaners or cooks. In this close up shot, we see the white receptionist greeting the Immigrant officers, we are meant to see the slight worry in her face with a close up because she doesn't want her staff to get arrested.
5. Are people from particular ethnicities portrayed as being abnormal, weaker, more pathetic than others?
Asian people can be seen as weak as they are shy and submissive which can show that they don't have a voice or share their opinion, they just keep quite and do their job that they are assigned to do. Black people can be seen as abnormal as they are exotic and tribal, they are different to others which shows a sign of abnormalities. In this close up shot, the Asian girl is thanking Adam for saving the diabetic woman.
6. How do other characters in the clip treat characters from different ethnic backgrounds?
The white people try and save the immigrants by telling them to hide when the immigrant officers come so they don't get taken away, so the white people treat the immigrants with respect and sometimes pity. However the white immigrant officers treat them with no respect because they want to take them away from living a happy life with a job, friends etc. In this high angle close up, we see the Asian woman comforting the woman who almost died.
7. What is the message the clip is trying to portray about ethnicity?
This clip is trying to show that some ethnicities have the same interests, for example the white people help the immigrants to hide when the officers come to the hotel. However some ethnicities are different and are more powerful e.g. immigrant officers want to take the immigrants away because they want to and have the power to. People that are black or Asian etc.
are seen as weak and are treated badly by the more powerful people like the white people, some ethnicities are welcomed by the powerful and rich people but others aren't or the powerful people have something against their ethnicity. In this close up shot, we see the officers storming in the hotel, wanting to arrest all the immigrants, it tracks him up until he gets to the reception desk.
