Overview
Haile Gerima, an Ethiopian independent filmmaker, stated that "we must go back and reclaim our past so we can move forward; so we can understand why and how we came to be who we are today." (1) Hence, I have created this unit in order that African-American youth will have the opportunity to reclaim their past and move forward with pride and dignity into the future. (I would also note here that though this unit is geared toward improving the self image of African American youth it does not exclude other races or nationalities. Actually, it could prove to be quite beneficial for all people who struggle with who they are.) I will compare four relevant films and novels and discuss their similarities and impact on society today. In addition, I will share ideologies of the various authors and filmmakers to contrast significant differences and use of narrative voice.
As a teacher in a school district with a population of 98% African American students, I feel that it is crucial to trace the history of Africans in America, and the underlying theme of understanding our past in order to move forward into the future. It is equally in important that students understand their heritage and the experiences of their ancestors. Social and culture transitions will be the basis of the unit. The films and novels chosen will offer different perspectives but continue with the same theme throughout. Through discussions, journal writing, group collaboration, charts, graphic organizers, and research students will explore the central theme and its relevance to our society.
All across America teachers and parents fear that students' increasing affinity for visual media comes at the expense of their reading and analytical abilities. But to believe that students are not using reading and analytical skills when they watch or "read" a movie is to miss the power and complexities of film-and of students' viewing processes. In my research of African film history, I will attempt to provide a lively, practical guide enabling teachers to feel comfortable and confident about using the works of great African film directors and other films that depict a historical picture of the African culture. I will directly link film and literary study by using companion novels and addressing reading strategies and key aspects of textual analysis. I will further explain key terminology and cinematic effects.
As English teachers, we feel comfortable discussing the important elements of a poem, short story, or novel because we have had practice and background in discussing the effect that, say, word choice, meter, imagery, or point of view is supposed to have on the reader. We know that a poet using a particular rhyme scheme or metaphor is no doubt doing it on purpose, and we are able to guide our students to recognize the craft of the writer in doing so. Like the poet, a filmmaker uses various devices and techniques for a desired effect.
When a director uses a particular lighting choice or camera angle, for example, he or she may be trying to say something about the character or situation. It is this fine attention to the craft of the director that will assist us later in applying critical analysis to the craft of the writer of a print text. My goal is to make teachers feel as comfortable with film as we are with discussing literature. I will introduce and define terms used by the filmmaker such as: framing, focus, angles, camera movement, lighting, sound, editing, etc.
From the literary analysis aspect, we can focus specifically on word choice and syntax in film and literature; a series of short clips with some of the most famous lines from films might be effective. In addition, tone could be separated from setting as another topic for analysis. Another possibility would be to use film clips to help students understand how foreshadowing gets used, and to what effect. As we incorporate film into the classroom we must understand that film does not only help students analyze literature but also helps them create it. We can utilize film to improve students' fiction writing that might occur if we use film clips as examples of good characterization, setting, dialogue, and so on. We will include exercises where students might be asked to continue a scene, write an ending, image new setting, develop an appropriate symbol, rewrite from a different point of view-or anything else that would be helpful for creative writing.
Finally, the objective is to examine a variety of aspects in film and to view film from a unique perspective, but ultimately students will be taught to analyze film with the same passion that literature is analyzed.
Comments: