Identities and Film: blog task

1) Read Media Factsheet 142: Identity and Film.

2) Complete the Twenty Statements Test yourself. This means answering the question ‘Who am I?’ 20 times with 20 different answers. What do they say about your identity? Write the 20 answers in full on your blog.

I am a son

I am a student

I am a brother

I am 6ft

I am brown

I am Asian

I am Sikh

I am 17

I am a football fan

I am happy

I am healthy

I am committed 

I am a grandson

I am a cousin

I am a uncle

I am a basketball fan

I am tired

I am against racism

I am a fan of chicken

I am a fan of grime

3) Classify your answers into the categories listed  on the Factsheet: Social groups, ideological beliefs, interests etc.

Social groups and classifications:

I am a grandson

I am a cousin

I am a uncle

I am a son

I am a student

I am a brother

I am 17

I am 6ft

Ideological beliefs: 

I am Asian

I am Sikh

Interests:

I am a basketball fan

I am against racism

I am a fan of chicken

I am a fan of grime
I am a football fan

Self-evaluations:

I am tired

I am happy

I am healthy

4) Go back to your favourite film (as identified in the lesson). What does this choice of film say about your identity? Are there any identities within the film (e.g. certain characters) that particularly resonated with your values and beliefs?

My favourite film is American Gangster 2008. The film shows that I am a more traditional and respect films which are historical events which have occurred. It is a film which is about family, morals and supporting people around you as well as the community that you were raised in.  

5) Watch the trailers for the five films highlighted as examples of gay/lesbian representation in mainstream film. How are LGBT identities constructed in the trailers and how are audiences encouraged to respond to these representations?

Wilde (1997): The film is asking the audience to confine with the ideas of gays/lesbians but to sympathise with them. This is to highlight how people should be comfortable with who they are and their beliefs and sexuality, rather than it being a crime but to accept who you are.

Philadelphia (1993): The film strikes a moral panic about the issues around sex and aids. It highlights that being gay doesn't stop you in reaching your goal to success and accomplishing things.

The wedding Banquet (1993): The film challenges lots of things including race and homophobia. The Chinese family is very traditional and introduces a white male man who both have to mask their identities in society in order to feel accepted. 

The kids are alright (2010): This is a negative view as the two females are seen to be incapable of raising children as they want to see their farther and that it is a male role model who is the one keeping peace in the family as it's seen that a family has to be a nuclear one. This consists of a mother, farther and children.

Pride (2014): The LGBT are represented as accepting their identity, the older generation however aren't aware of the gay community and what they're standing for exactly. People are reclaiming their identities and becoming comfortable.