education

HOW WE SEE OURSELVES IN FILM

Discussion
6pm, Thursday 16th @ University of Ulster, Magee College

Most visitors have heard of Northern Ireland only through the attention-grabbing headlines of the last 30 years. But those of us who live here are aware that the sum of our society is a lot more than division and violence. With young Northern Irish filmmakers increasingly able to depict Northern Irish society through the medium of short film, this event asks how local filmmakers portray the complexities of life in Northern Ireland.
[Try to discuss the questions below before you go as they will help bring the topic into focus].

Northern Ireland has a sizeable Chinese community. Try to find out how large the community is, and discuss what benefits Chinese people bring to the cultural life of Northern Ireland.

Are there any other ethnic groups, or people with different religions other than Protestant and Catholic, that you have encountered here?

There is a homosexual community in Northern Ireland, but how often do you see them represented in the television news or newspapers? Are there instances in any of the short films you have seen where a gay person is depicted? (If so, how?)

Disabled people make up a considerable part of the population in Northern Ireland. How often do you see disabled people represented in the media here?

How many disabled people have you seen in recent short films set in N. Ireland?

Have any of the short films have seen had a woman as a main character (protagonist)? If so, make a note of how each one is portrayed.

Write a short story or script with someone from the following groups as the main protagonist: a woman, a disabled person, a homosexual person, or someone from an ethnic minority.

We have found out that many important members of the community aren't being fully represented in today's crop of short films. But do filmmakers have any obligation to represent all aspects of Northern Irish life in their films?

Many filmmakers would argue that in order to achieve their personal vision, they shouldnÕt feel obliged to include all points of view, and that they should be allowed to deal with the issues that are important to them in a way that they feel is the most effective.

Discuss the question "do filmmakers have any responsibility to represent their society in a realistic way?"

If you could represent a modern, true vision of Northern Ireland as you know it to the world, what would it look like? Could you find a single image to represent Northern Ireland, or would you create a montage of important images? Would you communicate it through pictures, or through words, or both?

How would you represent yourself within this image?