To develop comprehension of English as a spoken language and to develop pragmatic
understanding in dialogue, you are going to watch Rabbit Proof Fence
Questions to consider while watching
1. Having viewed the first 15-20 minutes, write a difficulty report:
Grading (1 is low, 5 is high)
Title
Length
Rabbit Proof
Fence
Difficulty (1-5)
Weight (1-5)
Emotional
(=seriousness)
impact (1-5)
94’
Subject
Comments
→ Consider if there is or isn’t a lot of important information in the words
→ Consider if there is or isn’t a lot of speech in relation to the action
→ Consider if there are or aren’t a lot of pauses
→ Consider if the speech is very fast or quite slow
→ Consider if there are or aren’t heavy accents and dialect words
→ Consider if the words are very clear or very difficult to hear
→ Consider if the actual events are or aren’t easy to understand
→ Consider if there is or isn’t a lot happening
→ Consider if the action and speech support each other or not
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RABBIT PROOF FENCE
2. Now, produce a summary of the action (using the present tense):
→ Your summary should be less than 150 words
→ Contain all the essential information
→ Contain no unimportant details and no repetition
→ Indicate where and when the events take place
→ Introduce the main characters by name
→ Bring out important reasons, causes and connexions
→ Indicate the time sequence clearly
→ Be clear, correct and coherent
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3. View the rest of the film, adopting one of the main characters and assume their
identity; complete the table before being interviewed ‘in character’ by your
colleagues (imagining details, where necessary):
Name
History
Domestic situation
Looks
Virtues and vices
Habits
Hang-ups
Pastimes
Social life and personal
relationships
Work and career (if
applicable)
Prospects
Wealth and spending
patterns
Hopes and fears
Name
Feeling about the other characters
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Questions to consider after watching
1. Now, imagine his or her diary entry for a particular day, featured in the film,
recounting the events and his or her feelings about them, including comments or
reflections.
2. Which aspects of their life would you love or hate? How is their life similar or
different to your own?
3. Using the box below, identify the main climax of the plot, where everything
comes to a head; what events lead directly to this climax?
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4. Does the film answer any why? or how? questions? Write down the questions and
the answers:
Q
A
Q
A
a. What is seen as good and bad? Taking the part of the baddies, try to
justify their behaviour.
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Task
1. Completing the table below, consider whether you would recommend this film for
an Academy Award (Oscar) as best film of the year in its category; why?
Setting
Original or hackneyed?
Memorable or unimpressive?
Special effects?
Themes / Issues
Relevant / Topical?
Deep or shallow?
Dialogue
Sharp / original or obvious /
corny?
Acting
Convincing or wooden?
Action
Fast or slow?
Realistic or unconvincing?
Emotional impact
Tense or flat?
Hot or tepid?
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More information on ‘The Stolen Generation’
The Aborigines Protection Act (1869) permitted the Australian government to legally
remove Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children from their families. Although the
practice was stopped in 1969, the Child Welfare Act (1954) empowered police to
continue removing children until 1985. During this time, as many as 100 000 children
were separated from their families. These children became known as the Stolen
Generation.
The separation took three forms:
→ putting Indigenous children into government-run institutions
→ adoption of children by white families
→ the fostering of children into white families
The last two strategies were particularly applied to 'fair-skinned' children.
These forced separations were part of deliberate policies of assimilation. Their aim was
to cut children off from their culture to have them raised to think and act as 'white'.
On February 13 2008, the Australian government officially apologised to the stolen
generation for the forced separation from their families. However, the apology has not
had any legal impact on claims for compensation and the legal circumstances regarding
the Stolen Generations remain unclear.
For further information, see:
→ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stolen_generations
→ http://www.dreamtime.net.au/indigenous/family.cfm#bi
→ http://www.eniar.org/news/news-issues/rabbit.html
→ http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/special/rsjproject/rsjlibrary/hreoc/stolen/stolen10.
html
→ http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/6937222.stm
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