16 In the course of cinema-related discussions you recall your old school and decide that incorporation of movies into the school curricula has become topical. You are convinced that both teachers and schoolchildren are starving for an expressive education medium and feature films would be the best answer. Every school must have a mini-cinema. Through films school would get through to every child and would be benefited in many other ways. There are scores of donors who could finance such project. However, the first step must be reaching an understanding and coming to terms with your ex-school's head teacher (nothing personal – a mere language exercise). From the start the head teacher is constructively opposed. Now it is your job to convince the PRINCIPAL of the benefits of having that project in place and break his/her misconceptions.
| Your Avant-garde Ideas
| School Master's Prejudice
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| ☺ Children will learn best examples of Virtue and Dedication.
| ☻ Kids will be exposed to low life and will make idols of villains.
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| ☺ Feature films will support teachers' notions of "right and wrong".
| ☻ Films glorify most notorious characters.
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| ☺ Undubbed films will give a huge boost to foreign language learning.
| ☻ Children will pick up even more dirty language.
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| ☺ A good film includes indirect references to a lot of subjects at a time.
| ☻ Feature films are chaotic from school's point of view.
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| ☺ Films make up good common ground for mutual understanding between teachers, schoolchildren and parents.
| ☻ A child's day is booked up with homework and other commitments. Films will encroach on this precious time.
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| ☺ Films carry vast amount of knowledge and will ease introduction of most ingenious optional subjects on the curriculum (tailoring, design, career guidance, etc.) and familiarise with a number of jobs and industries.
| ☻ Films represent fake reality; tell far-fetched plots about non-existent characters.
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| ☺ Through the school cinema the school will become a genuine community centre.
| ☻ This cinema will only add problems. The school will be confronted with having to handle a lot of extra folk.
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| ☺ The project will give the school good publicity and open new opportunities for both the school and pupils.
| ☻ Beaten road is the safest.
|
| Etc.
| Etc.
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17 You've heard favourable reviews of a film (choose one specific picture). You would like to go to that film and tempt a friend to pay you company. You decide to convince him/her and point out the film's brightest features (e. g. plot, performances, camerawork, etc.). In his/her turn, the friend might value the same or other aspects in a movie. This seems to be like a jigsaw game. Will the shapes fit and you will find company, or will you be disappointed? In the notebooks each of you privately mark the points you will either mention in convincing, or expect to hear (see below). After this you start the conversation.
| Real Characters, with Real World Problems
| Ingenuity of the Story-line
| Humour
| Cast
| Direction
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| Work on Many Levels
| Blend of Genres
| Work on Emotions
| Film's Message
| Gives Role Models & Recipes for Youth
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| Characters
| Quality of Script & Dialogue
| Memorable Scenes
| Symbolism
| Score
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| Camerawork
| Costumes
| Performances
| Hollywood Film
| Domestic Film
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| Special Effects
| Action
| Romance
| Technology
| Based on Real Events
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Optional: Mould the idea of a "school-cinema as a breakthrough into new opportunities and instrument of education" into the project format in writing. See the template in Unit 1 Part 4.
