FILM FLOGGING
CLASS OF 2010
LET'S BEGIN
Monday, December 7, 2009
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Tongo Diamond Fields, Sierra Leone
Miners manually dig out the large pits that yield the diamonds. Just before the Sierra Leone Civil War, miners used Caterpillar machinery to mine these very same fields, but since the war, transporting large machinery to Sierra Leone has become logistically difficult.
More of the story at www.adamcohn.com
Uploaded by AdamCohn on 30 Jan 09, 12.25AM PDT.
THE HARSH WORKING CONDITIONS THE MINERS IN SIERRA LEONE FACE ECHOES THE EXPERIENCE ARCH FLANAGAN DOCUMENTS THE SOLDIERS ON THE LINE EXPERIENCED. THANKS FOR THE INTERESTING POST MADDIE.
More of the story at www.adamcohn.com
Uploaded by AdamCohn on 30 Jan 09, 12.25AM PDT.
THE HARSH WORKING CONDITIONS THE MINERS IN SIERRA LEONE FACE ECHOES THE EXPERIENCE ARCH FLANAGAN DOCUMENTS THE SOLDIERS ON THE LINE EXPERIENCED. THANKS FOR THE INTERESTING POST MADDIE.
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Blood Diamond
Blood Diamond is a movie set during the sierra leone civil war in 1999. the film shows a country torn apart by the government and rebel forces.
Solemon Vandy, a fisherman in Sierra Leone, has hopes of his son becoming a doctor, his dreams are shattered when rebels come to his villiage and kidnap him, to work in diamond mines. one day he found a huge pink diamond, and while hiding it one of the rebels see, fortunately the rebels are attacked and soleman is arrested by the government army.
danny archer, a man tortured to have strong survival insticts. he made himself a key player in the conflict of diamonds. somehow he finds out about Solemon's diamond, and offers to help find his family and bring his whole family to safety inreturn of the diamond.
after much conflict between Danny and Solemon, they become good friends, and Danny ends up dying fighting to protect Solemon and his family. Solemon and his family end up being brought to safety in America, and their lives are changed forever.
Solemon Vandy, a fisherman in Sierra Leone, has hopes of his son becoming a doctor, his dreams are shattered when rebels come to his villiage and kidnap him, to work in diamond mines. one day he found a huge pink diamond, and while hiding it one of the rebels see, fortunately the rebels are attacked and soleman is arrested by the government army.
danny archer, a man tortured to have strong survival insticts. he made himself a key player in the conflict of diamonds. somehow he finds out about Solemon's diamond, and offers to help find his family and bring his whole family to safety inreturn of the diamond.
after much conflict between Danny and Solemon, they become good friends, and Danny ends up dying fighting to protect Solemon and his family. Solemon and his family end up being brought to safety in America, and their lives are changed forever.
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
MESSAGE STICK
Message Stick is a program on the ABC that explores the history and culture of Indigenous Australia. It is presented from the Aboriginal viewpoint and perspective. It features many issues, themes, ideas and topics that supplement our study of The Secret River. In your preparation for the exam you could check out the Message Stick website and view stories that capture your interest. In the screening of The Professor, Professor Marcia Langton made many stirring and poignant comments about Australia's history that can be seen to have strong links with the subject matter of The Secret River.
Conflict between Professor Marcia Langton and Germaine Greer over their interpretations of the film Australia by Baz Luhrman also makes for interesting reading. Read Langton's review and then check out Greer's perspective. Langton also responds to Greer in defence of her point of view.
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
The Line - S/N activity
When you study The Line by Arch and Martin Flanagan you will need to make connections that go beyond the set text, just as you did with The Secret River. The connections you make are about exploring the set context, Encountering Conflict, and building a pool of ideas to inspire writing pieces that are underpinned by themes, ideas and literary devices used in the set text.
To begin this process you are going to source four texts (a picture, a written text, a song and a film) that you can see are about Encountering Conflict and can be linked to The Line in some way. In these explanations make clear:
- the conflict/s you can see
- the links with the set text
- the ideas for possible writing pieces
An area for improvement from our The Secret River blog posts:
Enhance your digital writing by including links to information on sites that supports your commentary. Also, where possible, incorporate a relevant visual with your post. For example, if you are writing about a novel in the Text Tremors section of the blog, import a picture of the novel’s cover.
To begin this process you are going to source four texts (a picture, a written text, a song and a film) that you can see are about Encountering Conflict and can be linked to The Line in some way. In these explanations make clear:
- the conflict/s you can see
- the links with the set text
- the ideas for possible writing pieces
An area for improvement from our The Secret River blog posts:
Enhance your digital writing by including links to information on sites that supports your commentary. Also, where possible, incorporate a relevant visual with your post. For example, if you are writing about a novel in the Text Tremors section of the blog, import a picture of the novel’s cover.
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Transformers
Transformers is a movie about alian robots that come to earth to find a cube which has the power to turn any computerized object into an evil robot. The desepticons are trying to find the cube so that they can use its power to help take over the world where as the Autobots are trying to get to it first so that they can destroy ity and prevent the desepticons from destroying the earth.
It relates to the book The Secret River when the desepticons come to earth and try to take over just like the British come to Australia and take over the aboriginals land but like the book the humans fight the desepticons with the Autobots to help save the earth just like to Aboriginals fight to save there homes.
It relates to the book The Secret River when the desepticons come to earth and try to take over just like the British come to Australia and take over the aboriginals land but like the book the humans fight the desepticons with the Autobots to help save the earth just like to Aboriginals fight to save there homes.
Friday, July 17, 2009
The Notebook
The Notebook is one of my favourite movies. I have read one of his novels The Lucky One, and watched two movies written by him The Notebook and A Walk to Remember. Each story is beautiful love story, but in each story conflict was encountered.
The Notebook is a story about about Allie, brought up in a rich family, with parents who put a lot of pressure on her to go to university and become very successful just like themselves. Allie meets a boy, Noah , in a much lower economic status than herself, and, after a lot of convincing from Noah, they fall in love (Much to Allie's parent's disgust). Allie's Parents realize Noah does not have the same economic stability as they have. They say Noah is "trash! trash! trash! Not for you!", they didn't want their daughter to throw all their effort away on a "summer romance". In order to get rid of their problem they decided to leave town giving Allie no opportunity to say goodbye to her first love.
After leaving town, Allie's parents watched her cry herself to sleep for weeks, and didn't inform Allie of the letters Noah had sent her everyday for a year. All this was because Noah didn't earn the same amout of money as they did. After many fights with her parents, and even getting engaged to another man. Allie and Noah found each other again and lived happily ever after.
The Notebook is a story about about Allie, brought up in a rich family, with parents who put a lot of pressure on her to go to university and become very successful just like themselves. Allie meets a boy, Noah , in a much lower economic status than herself, and, after a lot of convincing from Noah, they fall in love (Much to Allie's parent's disgust). Allie's Parents realize Noah does not have the same economic stability as they have. They say Noah is "trash! trash! trash! Not for you!", they didn't want their daughter to throw all their effort away on a "summer romance". In order to get rid of their problem they decided to leave town giving Allie no opportunity to say goodbye to her first love.
After leaving town, Allie's parents watched her cry herself to sleep for weeks, and didn't inform Allie of the letters Noah had sent her everyday for a year. All this was because Noah didn't earn the same amout of money as they did. After many fights with her parents, and even getting engaged to another man. Allie and Noah found each other again and lived happily ever after.
Monday, July 13, 2009
raisin in the sun
raisin in the sun stars well known star Sean 'P Diddy' combs. the film is about poverty, racism and internal conflict these themes involve all of the character. i believe the secret river also expresses these themes throughout itself.
In the film they are poor and Walter(P. Diddy) is forever trying to earn money for his family; going into dodgy business investments just to get one step further. This relates to the secret river when Thornhill is trying to persuade Sal to agree to him owning their own land; he believes this is best for his family.
Also in the film the grandmother receives an amount of money; the inheritance of the grandfather's passing, this news brings about conflict between the family, all of whom give their two cents to where the money should go and who it should be given to, the conflict that arises in relation to the money is conflict within themselves their own morals and values. this relates to Thornhill in the secret river because he also has conflicting views in his mind about what is right and wrong.
the other theme i mentioned was racism, this occurs when the grandmother decides on what to do with the money. she had decided to buy a house. the house is in a white community on the south side of Chicago. the film, being set around the 1950's, shows the diversity between the African Americans and white people around this period. The white people went to many lengths to show the Younger family wasn't welcome. as racism is a major theme in the secret river i thought this also would relate to it.
In the film they are poor and Walter(P. Diddy) is forever trying to earn money for his family; going into dodgy business investments just to get one step further. This relates to the secret river when Thornhill is trying to persuade Sal to agree to him owning their own land; he believes this is best for his family.
Also in the film the grandmother receives an amount of money; the inheritance of the grandfather's passing, this news brings about conflict between the family, all of whom give their two cents to where the money should go and who it should be given to, the conflict that arises in relation to the money is conflict within themselves their own morals and values. this relates to Thornhill in the secret river because he also has conflicting views in his mind about what is right and wrong.
the other theme i mentioned was racism, this occurs when the grandmother decides on what to do with the money. she had decided to buy a house. the house is in a white community on the south side of Chicago. the film, being set around the 1950's, shows the diversity between the African Americans and white people around this period. The white people went to many lengths to show the Younger family wasn't welcome. as racism is a major theme in the secret river i thought this also would relate to it.
Friday, July 10, 2009
The movie Signs (2002) staring Mel Gibson follows an average family whose life changes dramatically when they discover they must defend their home from a hostile Alien invasion.
I feel this movie really relates to the encountering conflict context and to the Secret River as it demonstrates how any race, if threatened, will violently protect its home, whether it is Human vs. Alien, or ‘white’ men vs. ‘black’ men as we see within the Secret River. Signs also relates directly to the Secret River as it follows an invasion of earth, similarly to the way the English invaded Australia and the way in which both the aboriginals and English react to such threats over what they believe to be rightfully theirs.
I feel this movie really relates to the encountering conflict context and to the Secret River as it demonstrates how any race, if threatened, will violently protect its home, whether it is Human vs. Alien, or ‘white’ men vs. ‘black’ men as we see within the Secret River. Signs also relates directly to the Secret River as it follows an invasion of earth, similarly to the way the English invaded Australia and the way in which both the aboriginals and English react to such threats over what they believe to be rightfully theirs.
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
The 1997 movie Men in Black revolves around the conflict between the men in black and an alien species who has invaded earth. Both sides are in battle to gain control of the universe which is concealed in a miniature galaxy which has found its way to earth . This strikes a cord with the Secret Rivers most prominent conflict which is the conflict between the blacks and the whites over who is to control the land.
The aliens disturb the earths way of living very much like the Europeans disturbed and destroyed the blacks way of life and the sequel Men in Black 2 coincides with the idea that these battles over power and supremacy are virtually everlasting.
The aliens disturb the earths way of living very much like the Europeans disturbed and destroyed the blacks way of life and the sequel Men in Black 2 coincides with the idea that these battles over power and supremacy are virtually everlasting.
The 2006 movie Apocalypto, directed by Mel Gibson is similar to what’s going on in The Secret River. Apocalypto shows the culture and lives of the Mayan people, we are shown how the live and how they going about their everyday, similar to how the Aboriginals would have had their own culture and way of living.
At the end of Apocalypto we observe the first stages of the colonization of the ‘new world.’ The Spanish arrive on their ships to take over the land, the movie ends at this point but we know that the Spanish came and decimated the population, destroyed the land and eventually left little of the Mayan culture.
The Secret River tells of how the British came in their ships and took over the land, came into conflict with the natives and would eventually go on to leave little of the Aboriginal culture.
At the end of Apocalypto we observe the first stages of the colonization of the ‘new world.’ The Spanish arrive on their ships to take over the land, the movie ends at this point but we know that the Spanish came and decimated the population, destroyed the land and eventually left little of the Mayan culture.
The Secret River tells of how the British came in their ships and took over the land, came into conflict with the natives and would eventually go on to leave little of the Aboriginal culture.
Monday, July 6, 2009
Don't forget about your S/N task
Hope the study break is going well for all of you. Remember, I will be checking to see if you have made your 4 'The Secret River' posts asap after the break. Alert notices will go home if the task is not completed. You need to complete a post for the Picture Panic, Text Tremors, Film Flogging and Music Matters areas of the blog.
The posts will discuss articles of your choice. Your discussion should consider the article in relation to the context of Encountering Conflict and highlight any connections between The Secret River and the article. Also, include an idea for a piece of writing you think the material would inspire noting the form and audience for the piece.
So, have a go. Don't panic about doing it right or wrong, in this case it's about the discussion we can generate and the ideas that will put us in a strong position from which to tackle the exam. If you see something put up by someone else that gets you thinking leave them a comment. If you come across something that inspires you in regards to The Line put a post up about that too. Good Luck.
The posts will discuss articles of your choice. Your discussion should consider the article in relation to the context of Encountering Conflict and highlight any connections between The Secret River and the article. Also, include an idea for a piece of writing you think the material would inspire noting the form and audience for the piece.
So, have a go. Don't panic about doing it right or wrong, in this case it's about the discussion we can generate and the ideas that will put us in a strong position from which to tackle the exam. If you see something put up by someone else that gets you thinking leave them a comment. If you come across something that inspires you in regards to The Line put a post up about that too. Good Luck.
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Q&A
Q&A is an excellent show that uses a panel to field questions that are drawn from an audience and online forums. It is interactive television. The latest show was titled Racism, politics and more , it was shown on Thursday 27/05/09 at 9.30pm on the ABC and featured the following panellists: Kate Ellis, Minister for Youth and Sport; Brendan Nelson, Former Liberal leader; William McInnes, actor and author; Peter Holmes a Court, businessman; Miriam Lyons, Executive Director of the Centre for Policy Development.
The discussion in this show aligns itself with our Context and resonates with themes and ideas that can be linked to The Secret River. Check it out and let everyone know what you think. I could think of ideas for expository, persuasve and imaginative pieces when I viewed this show.
The discussion in this show aligns itself with our Context and resonates with themes and ideas that can be linked to The Secret River. Check it out and let everyone know what you think. I could think of ideas for expository, persuasve and imaginative pieces when I viewed this show.
Sunday, April 19, 2009
'Wanted' Dir: Timur Bekmambetov
When I viewed the movie Wanted, starring Morgan Freeman and Angelina Jolie, I never expected to see links between it and the Flanagans' The Line. The main idea in Wanted, that of being able to go back in time to stop someone before they murder someone or commit an atrocity to humanity, is an intriguing one. It was when Jolie discussed the idea in terms of going back in time to murder Hitler that I made a connection as to how I might possibly create and present a piece of writing that would fulfill the criteria for the Creating and Presenting area of study. The Line is set during World War 2 and Martin Flanagan recalls a poem by soldier Billy Lyall that is 'written in the voice of the pub. You can feel the sunshine ... through the ... window, hear ... the wireless on the bar as ... the next race is announced. The pub reminds him why he's fighting Hitler.' Thinking about these different ideas makes me think one could write an interesting imaginative piece whereby a character, in some way, finds they can go back in time to encounter Hitler. There are many levels of complexity upon which one could explore the idea of encountering conflict in such a scenario. There would also be lots of opportunities to incorporate literary devices that would allow the piece to show the writer has used The Line to inform their piece.
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