SAVAC Film Program
The Art of Archery in East London
About the film: The Art of Archery in East London is an experimental documentary that looks at an archery class for Muslim boys in East London. The film uses archery as a visual metaphor for the sense of calm, control and belonging that can be contrasted against the chaos many youth might experience in their lives.
About the lesson: The lesson introduces students to the idea of metaphor, specically the visual metaphor. How can we show one thing, and convey something else? Students will be asked to communicate an idea through a visual metaphor, using video.
Download: 
art-of-archery.zip (2.2mb) — lesson plan, Constructing a Visual Metaphor assignment handout, Metaphors in Advertising Power Point file, storyboard template, achievement chart
Coolie Gyal
About the film: Coolie Gyal is a tender autobiographical film, in which the artist has collage together old footage to create a letter to her family.
About the lesson: The lesson introduces students to the autobiographical film, asking, "What are the rules and/or traits for making an autobiographical film?" Through screenings, discussions and hands-on activities, students will eventually arrive at the answer, that there are no rules. Students will be asked to create their own simple autobiographical film, an opportunity to get highly creative, as they figuratively turn the cameras onto themselves.
Download: coolie-gyal.zip (1.7mb) — lesson plan, Film and Autobiography reading exercise, storyboard template, achievement chart
Tapestry
About the film: Tapestry is a short experiemental documentary depicting the fragmentation of identity in Parsi culture.
About the lesson: Students w ill engange in an interactive discussion that will develop their understanding of how customs are passed down the generations by families immigrating to another country. They will analyze the film Tapestry by engaging in a critical reflection of how and why their individuals family's customs and traditions are passed to them, and what impact they have on their lives.
Download:
tapestry.pdf (152kb)
Untitled Displacement (Series #2) / Xin Nie Qui Le!
About the film: Both the filmmakers have taken simple footage, one of the film maker eating, the other shots of fireworks, and manipulated the image by use of effects, or by playing with the physical film itself.
About the lesson: Students will be taught about special effects in video and image editing, and be asked to research and present the history of a specific form of image manipulation. The culminating assignment includes using the effects they've taught each other about in their own work, asking how they can be used to add or change the meaning/reading of an image.
Download: ux.zip (4.3mb) — lesson plan, History of the Effect assignment handout, storyboard template, achievement chart
