CCR Research #1
The first Creative Critical Reflection question is "How does your product use or challenge conventions and how does it represent social groups or issues?" But . . . what does that mean? I mean, we know what it means, but what kind of answer does this kind of question require? Let's answer it in parts.
1. What are conventions of dystopian films?
Luckily for me, I already researched the typical genre conventions of a dystopian film. This is why recording your research is important. Films in this genre usually follow a young protagonist who questions or is against the totalitarian government of the universe/nation they live in. Said main characters are always on the "lesser" side of society. Dystopian movies also represent situations that are exaggerated versions of the world we live in now, or what the world could be in the future. Many of them are set in the future. Lastly, there are smaller things like dim lighting, rundown or controlled settings, futuristic technologies and cities, things like that.
2. Now, does my product use or challenge these conventions?
When it comes to the last part having to do with the mis-en-scene, setting, and those sort of details, my product uses those conventions to amplify the tone of the movie and have it be more believable. Along with that, Beatrice is a young protagonist who questions the system who also happens to be on the short end of the stick. Her problems, and everyone else's, are rooted in the government's tyranny. Though, my product differs in it's genre because I didn't set it far in the past nor in the future, but rather in the present. I wanted it to be clear that something like this isn't a fantasy or a fairy tale, but a possible future that isn't 5 million light years behind or ahead of us.
3. How does it represent social groups or issues?
Though the gravity of the situation in my film opening turns out to be a bit exaggerated, I derived my details from real life situations. There are many countries all over the world that have societies facing hunger and poverty. I was specifically thinking of countries like Cuba that have a rationing system. I've been familiar with the situation in Cuba for most of my life, being Venezuelan, since our countries share similar issues. Either way, I did more research. Due to the economic situation, a lot of Cuban families and individuals rely on government rations for their daily bread, literally. With a rationing booklet, which is marked off each time, Cuban citizens are given one roll of bread daily. This bread is stale and hard, and in the words of YaneisyCANTA ( or @yaneisycanta_98 on TikTok), a Cuban influencer who sings and documents her struggles in Cuba online, "Si te quieres comer el pan de hoy, tienes que esparar para mañana." Which translates to "If you want to eat the bread of today, you have to wait until tomorrow." She also says things like Spam are a luxury, or anything like oil and salt to make the bread taste a bit better. In my product, I included these details I learned. Beatrice and her mother are shown eating the loaves of bread they were both given for the day, along with small pieces of canned sausages and 2 or 3 dried blueberries.
Secondly, the aspect of police brutality shown in my product. A boy is shown bumping into a young military official, and the official is enraged and decides to take violent action. Being used to this, Beatrice's mother closes the curtain and ignores it. There are and have been many instances where police officials, or other non-official divisions of power, have taken advantage of their position. George Floyd, Renee Good, and Liam Ramos and his family are just a few examples of victims that have faced this. Though there has been a lot of outrage for the horrors imposed upon these people and other victims like them, there has been an excess in ignorance, too. My inclusion of this issue isn't only to show the ongoing problems in this universe, but also how "normal" something can become if a society keeps turning their heads and ignoring grave situations.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Now knowing what I'm going to speak about, I'm much more prepared on how I'm going to respond this first CCR question.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Benjamin, M. (n.d.). Dividing the pie: Cuba’s ration system after 50 years. Global Exchange. Retrieved March 4, 2026, from https://globalexchange.org/dividing-the-pie-cubas-ration-system-after-50-years/
2. CiberCuba Editorial Team. (2026, March 2). MINCIN reports the distribution of donations to those in need, and on social media, people are echoing: “We are all vulnerable.” CiberCuba. Retrieved March 4, 2026, from https://en.cibercuba.com/noticias/2026-03-03-u1-e135253-s27061-nid322058-mincin-reporta-reparto-donaciones-personas
3. Al Jazeera. (2020). Know their names: Interactive profiles. Al Jazeera. Retrieved March 4, 2026, from https://interactive.aljazeera.com/aje/2020/know-their-names/index.html
4. CNN. (2026, January 8). Renée Nicole Good: Minneapolis ICE shooting. CNN. Retrieved March 4, 2026, from https://www.cnn.com/2026/01/08/us/renee-nicole-good-minneapolis-ice-shooting-hnk
5. BBC News. (2026, February 1). Boy, 5, and father detained by ICE return to Minnesota after release. BBC News. Retrieved March 4, 2026, from https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cwynzw7jd4go
No comments:
Post a Comment