Related Films Research

Research

Yasmin –2004 Drama

This is a film about a young Muslim girl living in Britain, which we feel, is related to our film because it highlights the contrasts between two different cultures and what life is like living in Britain. Although our film is about a young Muslim man and him having a problem with his sexuality, family and community it still relates because our main character is a Muslim.

The beginning of the film starts with titles but no sound and picture, this affected me because it meant I was focused on exactly what was written on the screen rather than using my other senses.

  

Titles

These are the first three shots that are shown before any picture is, these tiles show what companies were involved producing the film, without much information such as; music, directors or actors it becomes difficult for the audience to know much about the film. By listing the actors in the film during the opening sequence it becomes easier for the audience to know.

The text font used in the titles are plain and simple making them understandable to the audience, the effect of having simple texts makes the opening sequence more powerful because it suggests there isn’t much comedy and them film is serious. In addition not having any texts moved around the screen and simply separating titles by cutting emphasises the seriousness of the film. The colour of the titles keeps the simple and plain theme because its white writing with a black background allowing the audience to concentrate on the titles only.

The titles don’t flash quickly they slowly dissolve and the screen shows the next bit of information about the film, the editing is simple but still has an impact on the audience.

Sound

The sound in the opening sequence comes from an actor singing the mourning awakening in the local community who are predominately from a Muslim background, whilst the sound is playing there are some powerful establishing shots. This also suggests that the local area is mostly from a working and lower class because the community doesn’t seem well looked after.

Character

During the opening sequence we are aren’t introduced to any characters or given any names although we see to men performing the morning prayer known as, Fazr, although at this point we are still unaware of their names of what part they play in the film. Later in the opening sequence we see another female character getting changed on a field; she’s changing her Arabic clothes and wear casual clothes. This suggests the character could be struggling to embrace another one of her cultures in the area she lives so she is forced to do in secret.

      

Location

The location of the film doesn’t specify where in Britain the film is located although its clear by the establishing shots the community is full of working and lower class people. The shots in the opening sequence show the location of a small community mostly congested with people from an Islamic background.

This long shot of a road in the local community shows the difference and distance between where this is set and other parts of the country.

The shot shows nice long country roads with some houses in the background but the first things seen by the audience is small enclosed space where the location is.

The next shot is of a shop owner cleaning the vandalism from the shutters on his shop, this suggests that there may be a problem with racism in the film. The word on the graffiti says, ‘ Paki’ which is a form of abuse and could be an on-going problem throughout the film. 

 

The final shot that shows the location is set in a lower and working class environment is of children walking through the area on their way to school. In buildings in this shot if very effective because they look similar to council flats which relates generally to lower and working class people.

All these aspects of the location show the type of environment the film is set in and links to the fact the issue in the film may be a result on the environment it’s in.  In addition the establishing shots show mostly Muslim people to be living in the area showing the audience the majority of the community is Muslim, this makes it harder to embrace and live by another culture.