Tumbleweeds Children's Film Festival

I have to admit, I was expecting a lot more from the Tumbleweeds Film Festival in Salt Lake last weekend.  I guess I had the image of a one of the big film festivals in my mind so I was expecting booths and panels and propaganda and such.  And I suspect that there was a bigger deal made when they first opened the festival Friday night.  Since I couldn't make it Friday, I went Saturday and it wasn't as interesting as I'd hoped.  The films themselves were the only focus.  If you weren't seeing a film, there was literally NOTHING to see or look at.  I think there might have been a gift table where you could buy things that said Tumbleweeds on it, and that is it.
Despite my disappointment regarding extras, the film I saw was actually quite good.  I saw Will, a British drama about the triumph of a little boy as he learns to cope with the death of his father.  A brief summary- a young boy, Will, is living at an orphanage when his apparently dead beat father comes to collect him, promising they will be a family again.  Will's father purchases some tickets to a football (soccer) game being held in Istanbul where Will and his dad's favorite team, the Liverpool Football Club, will play.  But a week before the game, Will's father dies of a brain hemorrhage, leaving him alone again.  Will is then faced with the challenge to run away from his orphanage and get to Istanbul himself to experience the game that he and his dad were supposed to attend.  He makes his way to France where he meets a has-been footballer named Alek who reluctantly helps him on his quest to see the game.  Will becomes a sort of runaway celebrity, and through his genius love of football and positive determination, he not only gets to the game but is able to run in with the players he so loves.
Will may be a bit of a cut and dry story, with a boy losing everything and doing everything in his power to hold on to the one thing he still has: hope.  But it is definitely well executed and well acted.  When it started, I was expecting a deadbeat dad story, about a man trying to make family a priority but finding himself not up to the challenge.  Thus, when the father died, I was literally shocked.  Truth be told, the story up until the dad dies is a bit boring, but once he dies and it becomes a quest the story really picks up.
The production design for this film was actually really impressive.  They filmed in very beautiful locations such as England and Paris, and there are some establishing shots that are quite breathtaking.  Set design and costuming were also very good.  All in all, it struck me as the sort of film that, in the wrong hands, could've been a total flop, but as it was executed so artistically and directed so poignantly I really liked it.  I actually went to the festival with a couple of friends who are not in the film program and they enjoyed it as well, which says to me that it doesn't just have appeal to the high-minded film connoisseurs who can find reasons to enjoy a movie that the general populous finds dull.
With regards to its relation to our discussions in class, I found it to be very adventuresome.  Will is faced with adversity and is only able to confront his problem by going out into the unknown world on a quest.  The main lessons he learns are not taught to him from parents or outside sources, but learned from his own experience connecting with the world around him.  The child is seen as being a source of hope and light for others as well as himself.  At one point, the police are searching for him as a runaway, but, inspired by Wills determination and love of the game, everyone protects him.  They allow him to experience the world, instead of protecting him from it.
When the movie ended my friend turned to me and said, "Well, that definitely glorifies running away doesn't it?"  And he definitely has a point.  Will stole money and ran away from home, doing all sorts of dangerous things like getting into cars with strangers.  But the whole time he is lucky enough to find nothing but help and support and encouragement on his quest.  At no point does he ever feel that running away was wrong, a point which is exacerbated when his friend Alek chooses to defy the police and help him get to the game.  Adults are supposed to be the moral compass for children, helping them to choose the right, especially when the wrong choice is so glamorous and exciting.  But the adults all seem to just have a change of heart by the end and decide that him running away was the best thing for him.  Will does at one point get his wallet stolen but since he meets Alek soon after the effects of this are very short lived.  In all, the message a child may take from the film is "If you have a really good reason to run away, things will work out and all your wildest dreams will come true!"  Definitely not a message I want my kids learning.
Aside from the problematic interpretation that could be made, I found the film to be very heartwarming and tender, very funny at times, and all together a very enjoyable experience.  I probably wouldn't have seen this film if not for this Festival so I am very glad I went.

Children's Media as Nostalgia

Nostalgia has a very powerful effect on the human mind, both as a means of escape from what may be a difficult present, but also to recall important moments in our development that can help us cope with our current circumstances.  Fond Nostalgia can often provide a return to childhood or else childlike qualities such as faith, hope, love, humility, honesty, and kindness.  Children are able to look at the world in a very raw and innocent way, which allows them to escape many of the harsh realities that in many ways they are either sheltered from or else simply do no understand.  Responsibilities are all but unknown to children, thus a return to childhood can be an escape from responsibilities and difficult choices.  While this may be a good thing in some situations (learning from past mistakes in order to deal with current situations, recognizing childlike virtues that can lead to a stronger moral compass) it can, when taken too far, have very detrimental consequences.

Nostalgia is really only something that applies to adults.  Children don't really experience nostalgia since they are living their childhood now.  Seeing things like "Power Rangers" or reading Christmas stories are fresh and new to them, but as such, they are likely to create memories related to these media sources that will become nostalgic for them later in life.  We are living in a time now where nostalgia is a great source of ideas for many films and other media, for example all the reboots of old movies/franchises like Transformers, Marvel comics movies, and even more gritty things like the remakes of classic horror movies, looking to bring the old scares to a new generation while simultaneously reminding the older generation of the classic scares of their youth.  Sometimes these ideas are big hits, while others are flops, and the reason for flops usually is because the intellectual property (nostalgic element) is no longer applicable (like in the case of John Carter) or else it is just too antiquated for the current generation to care.  

As we watched Hook in class this week, I was impressed at how well it fits into this category.  It embodies nostalgia in many ways.  First, I saw this film as a kid at my friend's house.  I loved it and would ask to see it every time I went over to his house.  He got bored of it pretty quick, but I never did!  When my parents got a DVD player for the first time, Hook was one of the 5 DVDs they got along with it, so I watched it over and over again (partly because of nostalgia, partly because I had no other DVDs).  The second reason this movie is nostalgic is that it is a retelling of the Peter Pan story, which I also loved as a kid.  The tiny jokes and nods to the old play and movie are just thrilling!  Finally, the story itself is a story of nostalgia, where Peter has forgotten all about his past and must remember in order to deal with his current family problems, as well as to save his children from a demon from his past.  He finally remembers, but is caught up in the memory and loses himself, his goals, and his focus on reality.  Only when he remembers his responsibilities as an adult is he able to find a happy medium between what he used to be and what he has become.  This is exactly what nostalgia can do for anyone.  Brilliant filmmaking and the perfect choice for this week's viewing.

Diversity in Children's Media

As we look back on most of the discussions we have had about diversity we see that there has been a trend of focusing on mainly the mainstream, with the white male role as a dominant feature.  Often, this can cause difficulties, particularly when it comes to being able to reach a wider audience.  A story about a young, good looking white boy from the suburbs who is struggling to find his way may not connect as well with a latino girl from the ghetto.  The point of diversity in media is to relate stories that recognize opportunities afforded and missed by people in good or bad economic, cultural, or social situations.  It recognizes often that cultural and economical limits can give limited agency to a child, but may also recognize the limitless potential and agency that child has in spite of their limits due to their capacity to explore.

In our viewings for the week, we watched a couple of "Storycorps" videos that portray very diverse circumstances while telling stories that are relate-able to all cultures and people.  One was a simple story told from the point of view of a mother and her son having an interview.  The son has aspbergers syndrome.  But the point of the video is not only found in the very heartfelt and raw interview, but also in the confronting of stereotypes and stigmas.  The little boy is heard interviewing his mother, and you can tell he has some struggles but you also hear his voice and know him as a human being.  Diversity allows us to learn more about others beyond the stereotype.  The boy clearly has overcome many challenges afforded him by his mental disorder, and we are able to learn about him as a person.  His condition isn't an issue anymore.

In Bicycle Thieves  we see a different side of diversity.  We see a family that is in a very poor financial situation, and yet they have happiness, joy and love.  Hope comes into the picture in the form of a new job for the dad, but trials and obstacles pop up everywhere.  The economic struggles that are portrayed are not new or unique but they might be missed if we don't give them the attention they deserve in media. We