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missasblog-blog · 7 years ago

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Annotated Bibliography - Adventure, Mystery, Humor

Adventure-

Collins, S. (2008). The Hunger Games. New York, NY: Scholastic Press.

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins takes place in a dystopian, post apocalyptic society located in what was once North America. The society is run by an authoritarian regime located in the Capitol. The nation, called Panem, contains twelve “states,” called Districts. Each District is known for producing a specific resource. For example, District 1 makes luxury items for the Capitol, District 2 is masonry, District 4′s industry is fishing, District 7 is lumber, and so on. Every year, the Capitol of Panem exhibits its total power over its citizens by forcing each district to select a boy and a girl, called Tributes, to “fight to the death” in a nationally televised event called The Hunger Games. The Games were established after a rebellion 74 years before the trilogy begins. The protagonist, Katniss Everdeen, volunteers as tribute in place of her younger sister, Prim, who is selected as District 12′s tribute. District 12 is one of the poorest districts, and its industry is coal. Katniss goes off to the Games and is forced to fight and kill children in order to win. This novel is full of science fiction and futuristic concepts, nail-biting twists and turns, heartache, a bit of romance, and commentary on totalitarian society. It is a gut-wrenching read that is nearly impossible to put down once the horn sounds and the Games begin! Its LA themes include a human being’s confrontation with nature (the Arena that the Games are fought in is a labyrinth of terrifying plants and animals!), a human being’s lack of humanity (the Capitol’s oppression and also the Tributes ability to kill one another), a rebellious human being’s confrontation with society (zoom in on Katniss Everdeen, our rebellious protagonist who refuses to be oppressed!), and the human’s ability to persevere and survive. Its lexile level is not exactly daunting. If anything, the violent nature of the Games might be difficult to process for younger readers or even parents, but the book is accessible to a variety of age groups.

Rowling, J. (1997). Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. New York, NY: Scholastic Inc.

The first installment in a seven part series, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone introduces the story of Harry Potter, a boy who, on his eleventh birthday, learns that he is a wizard, and the orphaned son of two extremely powerful and famous wizards who were murdered by an evil wizard named Lord Voldemort. He is invited to attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, an English boarding school for witches and wizards. He must run through a wall to reach Platform 9 and Three Quarters to catch the Hogwarts Express, the train to school, just two months after learning that he is a wizard. When he arrives at school, he learns that he is famous for having survived the Killing Curse, which no other wizard in history is known to have done. The school is divided into four Houses, and each House selects students with certain qualities: bravery, wisdom, loyalty, or ambition. He is sorted into Gryffindor, the House “where dwell the brave at heart.” In his House, he meets his two best friends, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger. Together, the three get into a great deal of trouble! The book chronicles their adventures: encountering a full-grown mountain troll, a three-headed dog, and Lord Voldemort himself. Sorcerer’s Stone is suspenseful adventure after suspenseful adventure. It is the introductory chapter of the series that has captured the imagination of an entire generation. The lexile level is fairly low. This first book is meant to be read by young students beginning to read chapter books. As the series progresses, however, the books become much more difficult to read. Arguably the fourth book and onward are fairly difficult reads. The LA themes include the impact of the past on the present (Harry’s parents deaths and the reign of Lord Voldemort on his present life), the inevitability of fate (Harry must face Voldemort eventually), exhibiting courage, and the conflict of good vs. evil.

Mystery-

Duncan, L. (1973). I Know What You Did Last Summer. New York, NY: Little, Brown and Company.

This novel follows four high school students: Julie James, Ray Bronson, Barry Cox, and Helen Rivers through their terrifying experiences with a mysterious stalker. Julie receives a sinister letter from an unnamed stalker, saying “I know what you did last summer. The previous summer, Julie, her boyfriend Ray, Ray’s best friend Barry, and Barry’s girlfriend Helen struck a child on a bicycle with their vehicle on the way home from a graduation party. The boy died. It was a hit and run. They make a vow to never mention the incident again. After receiving the ominous note, Julie contacts Helen, full of fear. The girls call Barry and he assures them that it’s a prank, because if someone knew about their crime, they’d contact the police rather than writing notes. The strange incidents do not stop there, however. Helen finds a magazine cut out of a boy riding a bicycle, Ray receives a newspaper clipping about the boy the four had killed the previous summer, and Barry receives a call from an unidentified person, who subsequently shoots him. It is clear by this point that the four are being followed and targeted for their crime. Who is following them? Who knows what they did? How do they know what they know? What will this mysterious stalker do to Julie, Ray, Barry, and Helen for their crime? The stalker is revealed to be Bud, Julie’s new boyfriend and the victim’s half brother. The novel weaves a tangled web of suspense, violence, mystery, and thrills. Its lexile level is not terribly high. It is fairly readable for most young adult audiences. Its LA themes include a human being’s lack of humanity (the hit and run), the impact of the past on the present (the crime on the present lives of all four main characters), and the conflict of making difficult decisions (the decision to leave the victim laying dead, the decision of whether or not to confess their guilt).

Humor-

Andrews, J. (2012). Me and Earl and the Dying Girl: A Novel. New York: Amulet Books.

This novel follows Greg Gaines, a senior at Benson High School. Greg is somewhat of a loner; his one true friend is Earl Jackson. The two have been friends since childhood. They spend their time together making films. Early on in the novel, Greg’s mother tells him that his childhood friend, Rachel Kushner, is diagnosed with leukemia. She suggests that he rekindles the friendship in an effort to make Rachel feel better about her plight. Although reluctant at first, Greg reaches out to Rachel and they begin a friendship. Greg introduces Rachel to Earl, and the three become an unlikely but inseparable trio. After word gets out that the three are hanging out, Madison Hartner, who Greg has had a crush on for quite some time, persuades Greg to make a movie for Rachel. Greg and Earl toss around several ideas, including making a documentary, a series of confessionals, or involving puppetry. The end product, Rachel the Film, is a bit of a mashup of everything that the boys experiment with in their filming endeavor. The film is shown to the entire school during an assembly after Rachel’s mom shows it to Greg’s mom, and Greg’s mom turns it over to the school. Less than a week after the screening, Rachel loses her battle with leukemia and passes away. Rachel has inspired Greg to pursue film school. He reveals that he wrote the book to explain to his prospective college, the University of Pittsburgh, why he fell behind on schoolwork during the previous school year. Greg’s self-deprecating narrative provides a number of laughs throughout the book. His narrative voice is humorous, as well as his encounters with both Earl and Rachel. The lexile level is suitable for the typical young adult reader. Its LA themes include the inevitability of fate (Rachel’s impending death), and the impact of the past on the present (how making the film affects Greg’s future and his ambition).

Vizzini, N. (2006). It's Kind of a Funny Story. New York City, NY: Hyperion Books.

The protagonist, Craig Gilner, is a socially awkward sixteen year old boy. He introduces his small circle of friends (Aaron and Nia), describes his fairly typical childhood, and reveals his struggle with depression. His psychological problems escalate after he enrolls in Executive Pre-Professional High School. Though he sees psychologists and is on the anti-depressant Zoloft, his mental state overcomes him, and he resolves to commit suicide by throwing himself off of the Brooklyn Bridge. Unable to go through with his plans, frozen in the moment, he calls a suicide hotline, and checks into a hospital to work through his mental illness. He is checked into Six North, an adult psychiatric clinic, and the humor begins. He meets other patients, like Bobby and Johnny who were former drug addicts, Humble who has anger issues, Muqtada, Craig’s roommate who almost never leaves his bed, and most importantly, Noelle, a girl who is Craig’s age who engaged in self harm by cutting her face with scissors. A series of humorous events and encounters ensue. Craig must navigate life in the mental hospital, and some of his encounters are rather awkward and funny. Craig’s self-deprecating tone is also rather funny throughout the novel as well. Although the novel deals with depression, mental illness, and heavy issues, there is humor embedded in the narrative. Its lexile level is about medium. Its topics might be sensitive for some younger readers. Its LA themes include an individual’s struggle toward understanding, awareness, and/or spiritual enlightenment (Craig trying to find a way to cope with his depression), the loss of innocence/disillusionment of adulthood (Craig realizes that he cannot necessarily handle pre-adult life), the individual’s ability to confront fears (Craig was afraid to deal with and talk through his mental illness), and the human’s ability to persevere and survive (therapy helped Craig persevere and improve as a person).

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funtubeweb · 7 years ago

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Ariel Nasr Unspools Afghanistan’s Forbidden Reel

The headquarters of Afghan Film occupy unassuming premises, one of many bullet-scared structures in central Kabul, with little indicating its vital role in Afghanistan’s cultural history.

Yet it was from this modest two-story building that ‘Engineer’ Latif Ahmadi and his peers brought forth a vibrant cinema culture in one of the most underdeveloped societies on earth, working in circumstances that would unnerve the most seasoned western director.

And it was here, in an episode worthy of Le Carré, that a small gang of heroic cinephiles pulled off a remarkable coup, saving their nation’s cinematic heritage from the iconoclastic fanatics who would later destroy the great Buddhas of Bamiyan.

With The Forbidden Reel, the Afghan-Canadian filmmaker Ariel Nasr is bringing his own account of this story to the screen. Currently in production in Afghanistan, the feature-length documentary is co-produced by Montreal’s Loaded Pictures (Sergeo Kirby, producer) and the NFB Quebec Atlantic Studio (Kat Baulu).

A veteran of numerous Afghan shoots and something of an expert on Afghan cinema, Nasr has been developing the ambitious project for several years. “I’m particularly invested in this project,” he says, having recently returned from a three-week shoot in Kabul. Two additional Afghanistan shoots are planned for later this year.

“In recent years I’ve spent extended periods living and working in Kabul, often in collaboration with Afghan Film, and I’ve established strong relationships with Latif Ahmadi and other Afghan filmmakers. I have an enormous amount of admiration for them, not just for their work but for their personal courage and perseverance. In the process I’ve also unearthed surprising new information about the thirty year-period during which they were active.”

“We’ve assembled the elements of a gripping story, but I also get to challenge the received wisdom about Afghanistan. Mainstream western media often represents Afghanistan in a reductive manner. Whether it’s the Afghan-Soviet War or the current struggle with the Taliban, it gets presented as a simplistic good-vs-evil narrative. I try to paint a more complicated picture, to deliver a more authentic, and ultimately more interesting, account of Afghanistan and its artists.” Pictured above and below: Nasr interviewing Latif Ahmadi in the wartorn Darul Aman Palace near Kabul, currently undergoing reconstruction.

Afghan’s tradition of progressive auteur cinema

The very existence of a sophisticated auteur tradition in Afghanistan comes as a surprise to many. Yet during the 1970s and 1980s the country witnessed the emergence of a fascinating national cinema, one focused on telling Afghan stories and putting Afghan concerns onscreen.

At the centre of it all was “Engineer” Latif Ahmadi, who rose to prominence during the 1980s. Raised by a movie-loving single mother, Ahmadi began experimenting with film as an engineering student, soon abandoning his studies altogether to establish his own production company. Starting with commercials and animation, he quickly graduated to features, scoring a major hit with Gonah, a drama about class and gender that he made with help from Siddiq Barmak, another emerging talent. Ahmadi was still a young man when he was appointed president of Afghan Film, a state-funded agency that had been established in 1968 during a period of relative liberalism.

“It was a hugely ambitious project, yet the people at Afghan Film succeeded in creating a national cinema,” says Nasr. “They nurtured creative debate, encouraging filmmakers to draw on multiple influences, and the result was unique, as close to Italian neorealism as South Asian or Iranian cinema. It was an auteur cinema that championed women’s rights and other progressive ideas, filling cinemas in Kabul and Herat – something that seems unbelievable now.”

Following the communist coup of 1978 and subsequent Soviet invasion, Ahmadi proved adept in navigating the new political context. “Some filmmakers joined the Mujahedeen resistance, but Ahmadi chose to stay on as president of Afghan Film. Yet even while overseeing production of pro-Soviet propaganda, he was able to create independent auteur work. He made some of his most important movies during the Soviet occupation, films that were subject to censorship yet still somehow managed to paint a compelling picture of ordinary Afghan life. Films like Akhtar the Joker, Immigrant Birds, and Escape provide a fascinating window onto Afghan history and the whole late Cold War period.”

“Their passion for cinema transcended politics”

Actress Yasmin Yarmal, a frequent collaborator of Ahmadi’s, would take on some of her most memorable roles during the Soviet occupation, but Siddiq Barmak, Ahmadi’s old friend and collaborator, ended up working with the Mujahedeen resistance, and later directed Urooj, a groundbreaking feature made in collaboration with Ahmad Shah Masood’s forces.

Despite finding themselves on opposing sides in the civil war, Ahmadi and Barmak never viewed each other as enemies. “There was never any antagonism between them, “ says Nasr. “Their passion for film transcended politics. Afghan culture and politics are never as simple as they appear — and that’s an underlying theme of this project. Even at the height of the conflict, Ahmadi was able to negotiate with Mujahadeen rebels. Cinema tended to be respected by all sides.”

“That was true even during Taliban rule,” says Nasr. “The Taliban was a repressive regime, but they were not uniformly unenlightened. That’s one of the many remarkable aspects of this story.”

Making use of Afghan Film’s vintage equipment

Nasr’s key interviews include the ‘Engineer’ himself, who recently returned to Afghanistan after a long exile; Ibrahim Arify, the current president of Afghan Film; Siddiq Barmak, Yasmin Yarmal, and a number of inside players who are speaking out for the first time.

Interview footage will be cut with clips from the storied Afghan Film archive, many of them from films that are unknown to the wider world, along with stylized recreations that evoke key episodes in the story.

“Afghan Film has generously given us access to their camera equipment, the same sturdy Russian-made cranes and dollies that the Engineer and other filmmakers would have used back in the 70s and 80s,” says Nasr. “We’re shooting selected sequences on 35mm, referencing the sweeping style and feel of those classic movies, and we’ll be using the same gear.”

Among Nasr’s producer credits is the Oscar-nominated short Buzkashi Boys (2012), a powerful coming-of-age drama filmed in Afghanistan. His wrote and directed his first film Good Morning Kandahar in 2008, when he was still learning Dari. The film turned a critical gaze on Canada’s military presence in Afghanistan — exploring the paradox of “my country Canada is bombing my country Afghanistan” — and marked the start of his association with the NFB. He continued exploring various facets of Afghan life in two subsequent NFB productions, the Gemini Award-winning The Boxing Girls of Kabul (2011) and Kabul Portraits, (2015), an interactive project which counts actress Yasmin Yarmal among its six featured subjects.

“Ariel is a visionary, a completely committed filmmaker,” says producer Serge Kirby. “It takes determination to make a film like this, and The Forbidden Reel is a real labour of love. He’s telling a powerful and nuanced story, one that completely reframes our understanding of Afghanistan.” Kirby’s Loaded Pictures credits include H2Oil, Roadsworth, and Wal-Town.

As part of its involvement in the production, the National Film Board is assisting Afghan Film with its ongoing preservation work. “The Forbidden Reel is all about the power and importance of cinema – its precarious and precious place within Afghan culture – and it’s great that we’re able to share with Afghan Film some of the knowledge and expertise we’ve developed during the digitization of our own collection, ” says Kat Baulu, producer for the NFB’s Quebec Atlantic Studio.

The NFB has a long tradition of producing work that looks onto the wider world through a Canadian lens, going back to Churchill’s Island (1942), the first film to win an Oscar in the newly created Documentary Short Subject category. Often directed by filmmakers who’ve grown up in diaspora communities, tracing their heritage to other parts of the world, these films bring nuance to international stories and issues. The Forbidden Reel follows in the line of titles like The Apology (2016), Tiffany Hsiung’s acclaimed film on sexual slavery in WWII Japanese-occupied Asia; Up the Yangtze (2007), Yung Chang’s epic feature doc on the monumental Three Gorges Dam; and Four Women of Egypt (1997), Tahani Rachid’s study of the complex divisions that mark contemporary Egyptian society.

The Toronto-based cinematographer Duraid Munajim, whose credits include work on The Hurt Locker and Zero Dark Thirty, is director of photography on The Forbidden Reel, with Nasr himself operating the second camera. Saleem Mohammed Yousofzada is the Kabul-based production assistant. The Forbidden Reel is co-produced by Loaded Pictures (Sergeo Kirby, producer) and the NFB Quebec Atlantic Studio (Kat Baulu, producer). Executive producers are Sergeo Kirby and Annette Clarke. Production continues through 2017. Photography courtesy of Loaded Pictures.

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