For Sama is a complex documentary. A talking head, set in Syria, by a citizen journalist, in which some 500 hours of footage was reduced to under two hours, and with the addition of a co-director who had never been to Syria
The resource is 6 PPTs which reflect how I have taught in, not introducing the awkward question of propaganda until the last - they spread over 7 hours and do not at this stage contain revision . [ when I get to that point I will add and you can acces the new material]
I have avoided the political quagmire of Syria, and suggested a fairly neutral position for teaching, but given/gave some research tasks to encourage students to find their own position, so they can address spectatorship authentically. There is a dedicated PPT to spectatorship with a range of tasks which can be oral / peer to peer or written
When I do revision - I expect to allow four hours and a full second viewing but as the film is widely availale online - I also assume teachers may well set it for holiday work too.
This is a whole introduction unit for All About Eve - targeting Eduqas and WJEC :
It does assume two things: one the teacher has some experience in teaching film and the language of film for GCE. and that the student has already had some basic film language taught
Of the new films, this really is one of the easiest that is going to write up well. As Old Hollywood, it’s a bit of a gift, using stardom, studio power, it’s Academy Award status, the cinematography and performance, costume and of course, dialogue
This is a first run 30 PPT introduction to the film/documentary and 3 further PPTS - connecting F is For Fake Orson Welles to Exit, one asking Who is Banksy
and one asking who is Guetta
All have some essay questions to encourage students to think more deelpy about the complexity of fake versus fictions, authenticity, art and art fraud, and the role of graffiti
It assumes it will be teacher led and the main PPT is approximately 1/2 before and 1/2 post viewing
I introduce ideas about authenticity, cinema verite, voice over narration, and there is a slide in which the I list the sequences - this would be best printed for students!
There are writing ideas and discussion points
I have assumed students have a knowledge of the language of film and therefore the deep dives are limited to what is more unique to the documentary
This should cover somewhere between 3-5 lessons excluding viewing
This is new to the UK curriculum, but I taught it from 2005-2011. Students fell into two groups: loved it or hated it
There is a work book, and three PPTS - all updated and linked to the UK boards. Essay question, auteur theory specific to this film.
Dips quite deeply into the how to make meaning of this films, However, I have assumed two things: teachers know how to teach film, and students have some basic cinematic teaching/knowledge.
I would never suggest this is the first film to kick off with an A Level course
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