th 27 Aug - 4 Sep 2016
Labyrinthus
EDUCATION SCREENINGS
Welcome Welcome to the third year of Screenplay’s education strand, and the 10th year of the UK’s most northerly film festival. This year we have a fantastic collection of films for all ages from all over the world. We have three siblings on an Arctic adventure, battling blizzards and polar bears, and two brothers in Chennai who just want their first taste of pizza. We have Wickie the viking, who will stop at nothing to save his father from the clutches of evil, and Sasha, a young Russian aristocrat travelling to the North Pole in search of her grandfather. We have the true story of Jan Baalsrud, the only survivor of a Shetland Bus operation attacked by a German torpedo, and the fantastical tale of Frikke, caught up in a dangerous labyrinthine computer game. All these screenings are available to your pupils for free! And thanks to our friends at Dundee’s Discovery Film Festival, several of the films come with Curriculum for Excellence resource packs, created by teachers, that you can use in your classroom to promote productive discussions and engaged thinking. This programme has been devised with massive support from Discovery Film Festival, its programmers, its young audiences and their teachers. We really couldn’t have done it without you, Discovery! Shetland Arts is also deeply grateful to EIS Shetland for its support of this programme.
Education Programme Funders & Partners
2
Schedule Monday 29 August
Tuesday 30 August
10.30am
10.30am
Ni Liv with introduction by Stephen Howarth
Wickie and the Treasure of the Gods
Wednesday 31 August
Thursday 1 September
10.30am
10.30am
Crow’s Egg
Operation Arctic
10.30am
Long Way North Friday 2 September 10.30am
Labyrinthus 3
(Ni Liv)
(Wickie auf GroĂ&#x;er Fahrt)
Nine Lives
Wickie and the Treasure of the Gods
Nine Lives recounts one of the most exciting escape stories to emerge from the challenges and miseries of World War II. In March 1943, as part of the Shetland Bus operation, a team of expatriate Norwegian commandos sail from Shetland for Nazi-occupied arctic Norway to organize and supply the Norwegian resistance. But before they can make it to the Norwegian coast, they are betrayed, and ambushed by a German patrol boat. Only one man survives: Jan Baalsrud. Pursued by the Nazis, frostbitten and snowblind, he forces his way through blizzards and steep mountain ranges towards the safety of Sweden. The local communities he passes through are determined to help him, even though it will put their own lives at risk. This classic Norwegian film recounts the incredible true story of Jan Baalsrud, and is the ultimate tale of endurance in the face of insurmountable odds. This screening will be introduced by Stephen Howarth, whose father David played a key role in the Shetland Bus operation, and on whose 1955 book We Die Alone: A WWII Epic of Escape and Endurance the film is based. Dir: Arne Skouen Norway 1957 1h36m Norwegian with English subtitles Age 11+ Advisory: short scene of toe amputation, peril Themes: World War II, Shetland Bus, courage, resilience, heroism, survival
4
Wickie, the little viking with the bright red hair, lives in the village of Flake with his mother Ylva and his father Halvar, the most stubborn Viking Chief of all time. Wickie tries to be like his father and the rest of the tough, strong vikings, but he really prefers to use his brain over brute force. But one day, the village is raided by Sven the Terrible, who kidnaps Halvar and steals his valuable amulet. Wickie is left in charge of the viking tribe, and so leads a host of characters on a daring mission to the terrifying Cape Fear. Will he be able to use his cunning to defeat Sven the pirate, save his father and find the legendary Treasure of the Gods? This hilarious comedy is jam-packed with adventure and laughs, a brilliant cast and uproarious set pieces - a treat for young and old alike. Dir: Christian Ditter Germany 2011 1h36m German with English subtitles and live dubbing into English by our talented team of voice actors Age 6+ Advisory: mild peril, comedy swordfights Themes: vikings, family relationships, courage, resourcefulness, perseverance, friendship
(Kaakkaa Muttai)
Crow’s Egg Near their Chennai slum in India, two young brothers play cricket with their friends on a patch of derelict land – until this is taken over for a brand new shopping mall. Entranced by adverts on local TV for the new pizza parlour, they set out to raise the money required to buy their very own pizza and taste this exotic delicacy for themselves. This touching comedy focuses on the realities of life in a slum community – as the director Manikandan notes: “I wanted to depict life in a slum realistically but also didn’t want to advertise India’s poverty to the world”. Occasionally hard-edged – sometimes laws are not bent, but broken – this film captures the daily challenges the family has to face, but you’ll be cheering the brothers on right to the end. Dir: M. Manikandan India 2014 1h39m Tamil with English subtitles Age 10+ Advisory: infrequent use of strong language Themes: Family relationships, poverty, the impact of globalisation, chasing your dreams, the power and influence of the media, celebrity, social divides RESOURCE PACK AVAILABLE
Long Way North Sacha, a young Russian aristocrat living in Saint Petersburg in the late 19th century, dreams of the Great North and anguishes over the fate of her grandfather, Oloukine. A renowned scientist and Arctic explorer, he is yet to return from his latest expedition to conquer the North Pole. Sacha has always been fascinated by the adventurous life of her grandfather and shares his passion for exploration. However, Sacha’s parents have already made arrangements for her marriage and strongly disapprove of her plan to follow in her grandfather’s footsteps. Defying her destiny, Sacha flees her home and launches a quest towards the Great North in search of her grandfather and his ship. From the creators of previous Screenplay favourites Ernest & Celestine and Song of the Sea, this beautifully animated coming-of-age tale is filled with action, adventure and bravery. Dir: Rémi Chayé France / Denmark 2015 1h21m English (dubbed) Age 7+ Advisory: sense of peril, occasional mild language Themes: perseverance, chasing your dreams, family relationships, independence, challenges, female protagonist
5
(Operasjon Arktis)
Operation Arctic Thirteen year-old Julia, her siblings Ida and Sindre, and their mother have recently moved to a small Norwegian town. Desperate to see their father, the children break into the local military base and stow away on a helicopter to find him. However, the helicopter changes route and they end up on the deserted Half Moon Island in the northern Arctic Ocean. Lost and alone, enduring blizzards, a dwindling food supply and hungry polar bears on the doorstep, the three must face challenges they had never dreamed of. With no way of getting a message back to their parents, can they survive long enough to figure out how to get home? This is a thrilling adventure story, with excellent performances from the young cast and fantastic cinematography capturing the harsh beauty of the Arctic landscape. Dir: Grethe Bøe-Waal Norway 2014 1h27m Norwegian with English subtitles Age 9+ Advisory: threats from the harsh Arctic environment, including polar bear attack Themes: Family relationships, breaking the rules, survival, determination, perseverance, facing up to new challenges, environmental awareness RESOURCE PACK AVAILABLE
6
Labyrinthus 14-year-old Frikke comes across a computer game and discovers that real children are trapped within, wandering lost around the labyrinth. He befriends Nola, who is caught up in the game, and decides she must be rescued; but the creator warns Frikke that if he loses or quits, Nola will be harmed. As his other friend Markus gets drawn into the labyrinth, can Frikke solve the puzzle and stop the creator? A tense and gripping story, this film uses special effects and virtual worlds to great effect, while providing an interesting perspective on internet safety and gaming technology. Dir: Douglas Boswell Belgium / Netherlands 2014 1h39m Dutch with English subtitles Age 10+ Advisory: limited strong language, threat of violence, menacing masked characters Themes: Gaming, internet/online safety, facing the unknown, accepting responsibility, friendship, perseverance, intrigue RESOURCE PACK AVAILABLE
Operation Arctic
Other information How to book
Contact Noelle Henderson, Creative Links Officer, noelle.henderson@shetland.gov.uk to book places at the screenings. To guarantee places, we would encourage you to book before Friday 1st July, though bookings made after this date may still be accommodated.
Subtitles
We have noted where a film is in a foreign language and is subtitled in English. We encourage those able to read to enjoy the subtitles, and we find this to be possible for the majority of children aged 8+.
Teachers’ Preview We would like to invite teachers to our first ever teachers’ preview night! Thursday 9th June 6pm - 7pm Mareel Screen 2 A chance to watch previews of all of the films, have a look at resource packs and discuss bookings - and light refreshments will be provided.
Age range
As we are showing a broad range of international films, most have not been officially rated by the BBFC. We have taken great care to suggest an age range we believe is suitable, and provided advisory warnings for each film. Please get in touch if you would like any more information on the content of individual films.
Public screenings
There are public screenings of these films and many more from Saturday 27th August Sunday 4th September.
Young Film Quiz Suitable 12 - 16 Free Sunday 4 September, 12.30 - 2pm Mareel Auditorium Mareel’s monthly film quiz, adapted for young people aged between 12 - 16. The usual rules apply - teams of no more than six to a table, book your table in advance and NO cheating! Take our advice and make sure your team includes a wide range of interests and obsessions, if you want to be in with a chance of winning any of the crazy and utterly desirable prizes. This event was huge fun last year - why not drum up a team from your 7 school, youth club or neighbours?
Wickie and the Treasure of the Gods
About Screenplay
The Curators Kathy & Cara
Saturday 27 August - Sunday 4 September Shetland’s annual film festival is curated by celebrated film historian Linda Ruth Williams and film critic Mark Kermode alongside our own Kathy Hubbard. It features a feast of film screenings, lectures and panel discussions involving national and international film industry professionals and film academics. Screenplay also has a strong local flavour, provided by the work of local film makers of all ages and an outreach programme taking in community halls and education.
Kathy has been involved with Screenplay one way or another since its inception in 2007. She is the Festival Director and co-curates the main programme with Mark Kermode and Linda Ruth Williams. She is fanatical about introducing children and young people to cinema from around the world, in all its infinite variety. After co-founding the youth filmmaking group Maddrim Media, Cara has spent the last 10 years volunteering at Screenplay and developing arts opportunities for children and young people. In her spare time she enjoys visiting film festivals across the world, and discovering new cinema experiences to bring back to Shetland. She is super excited to help programme the Education Screenings this year.
www.shetlandarts.org/screenplay Mareel, Lerwick, Shetland ZE1 0WQ 01595 743 843 info@shetlandarts.org