About a Girl
1. What are the issues that the film deals with and give examples of the way that the film
highlights these issues to the audience?
The film deals with neglect that children in the world may feel. This is displayed when the father treats his 13-year-old daughter unfairly by leaving her outside while he has some drinks with his friends. During this scene the girl is seen with an expression that suggests that she is used to this type of treatment.
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The mother is then seen scratching a ticket of some form, with a distraught look upon her face. While this is happening, the main character explains how selfish the mother can be in times of need because she would rather spend her money in cigarettes than her daughter. This scene is perfectly displayed with an out of focus/blurred view of the daughter and a focused view of the mother, all during a long shot.
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The film ends by illustrating that because of the neglect, the child began growing up too fast and had a baby without the parents knowing. The cinematography captured the final moments perfectly with a series of multiple shots, the first and most significant was a an underwater close-up of the baby. This brings emotion to the scene because the feeling of the shot evokes gloom and sorrow.
The next shot was at water level view, showing the bag with the baby floating away. This shot was done in order to bring realism to the scene and insert the viewer into the action.
Lastly, the film ends with the girl singing, which correlates with the opening scene of the film. The panning long shot at the end leaves on a dramatic note, inducing a depressed feeling into the conscience of the viewer.
2. What representational areas are included in the film? comment on The choice of
Mise-en-Scene for each of the representational areas
The Bench- The bench outside the bar can be seen in the beginning of thee short film. The bench looks beaten up and even has some writing on it. This symbolized that the area where the child is situated is a poor area.
The cinematography chose to use a panning technique at the end of this scene to evoke emotion but to also show the full environment of the scene. The bar, run down area and body language of the daughter is all seen during this pan.
The cinematography chose to use a panning technique at the end of this scene to evoke emotion but to also show the full environment of the scene. The bar, run down area and body language of the daughter is all seen during this pan.
3. When is the opening shot being filmed? What connotations could be made about this?
The opening shot is being filmed before she leaves out to throw away her baby. She is seen in a field dancing to music. This scene could possibly symbolize the carefree attitude that she has developed towards situations due to the neglect from her family. The film stays consistent with the paralleled theme of care free spirit and hardships. This beginning scene initiates the irony by showing the girl dancing to Britney Spears, while also dealing with a situation that should provoke sadness.
The lighting in this scene was also specifically chosen to assist the other techniques in presenting emotion. The sky is filled with clouds, which makes the lighting of the scene very dark. However, there is a small portion of sun left in the sky, which is evidently shown in the clip, crating a contrasting environment. |
4. What Elements are used throughout the film that link to the idea of celebrification?
What connotations can you draw from this?
Celebrification is shown when the main character of the film declares that she will be rich and famous one day when she becomes a singer. She sings throughout the entire short film and seems as though she is serious about her dream of singing, even so to the point where she is performing with a group of friends. She is upset with her current living conditions and dreams of one day where she is well off so she can neglect the people that once neglected her. This gives the viewer an unusual feeling of hope, because the audience may feel delighted about the future of the girl even though she is encountering many hardships.
5. From the mise-en-scene what do we learn about the mother and what does the choice
in camera angle suggest about her relationship with her daughter?
The camera angle is a long shot which shows the daughter and the mother, with the mother being the focal point of the view. The mother is seen with a worried face and a large distance away from the daughter. The combination of the camera angle which shows distance, and the cinematography, which shows facial expression, show that the mother is not very close with her daughter. Some key elements from this scene could be used to depict poverty. For example, the mother is seen with a white plastic bag hanging from her right hand, with a buggy directly in front of her. The distress on her face, combined with the environment, clothing and props could lead to the perception of poverty.
6. describe the father character and his relationship with his daughter. What do you
think the director's intention for this scene was?
The relationship between the father and the daughter is a strange relationship because it seems as if the father is forced to take care of his child and does not want to involve himself in her life. The director intended to show that the father is not interested in his daughter because the father can be seen reading a newspaper with a cigarette in his hand, which shows that he is not paying much attention to his daughter.
In this two shot, the nonchalant attitude can be seen from the father and the depressed, uneasy daughter can be seen trying to cover her emotions, hoping to show strength. |
7. How does the change of sound in the end scene highlight the issue of teenage
pregnancy further?
The sound change beta to take o a dark ad melancholy feel. The sound signifies that teenage pregnancy is a hard thing to deal with and usually brings about pain and distress.
The rigorous flow of the water ca be heard while the tweeting of birds can also be heard in contrast. These two sounds along with a panning view of the baby flowing down the river help construct a very emotional scene. This distinct sound is used in many thought provoking ads and movie scenes. This unique sound is usually used after a twist ending or a surprising moment and is used in order i order to leave the viewer in their own thoughts.
The rigorous flow of the water ca be heard while the tweeting of birds can also be heard in contrast. These two sounds along with a panning view of the baby flowing down the river help construct a very emotional scene. This distinct sound is used in many thought provoking ads and movie scenes. This unique sound is usually used after a twist ending or a surprising moment and is used in order i order to leave the viewer in their own thoughts.