© ATOM 2013
A STUDY GUIDE BY KATY MARRINER
http://www.metromagazine.com.au
ISBN: 978-1-74295-339-7
http://www.theeducationshop.com.au
Curriculum links
This study guide to accompany Rites
of Passage (Phillip Crawford, 2013)
has been written for students in Years
10–12. As a curriculum resource, the
film expands and enriches students’
understanding of human experiences.
The Australian Curriculum: English
is built around the three interrelated
strands of Language, Literature and
Literacy. Together the strands focus on
developing students’ knowledge, understanding and skills in listening, reading,
viewing, speaking, writing and creating.
In Year 10 English, Rites of Passage
can be used as part of thematic units
exploring identity and belonging. The
activities within this study guide provide opportunities for Year 10 English
students to:
- analyse, explain and evaluate the
structure of a text and how the features of the text influence audience
response;
- to develop and justify their own and
other interpretations of a text;
- to create a wide range of texts,
make presentations and contribute actively to class and group
discussions.
In Year 10 Media, students critically
discuss contemporary films. They analyse, interpret, and evaluate the stylistic,
technical, expressive and aesthetic features of these works and the ways that
the works communicate and challenge
ideas and meaning. The activities within
this study guide provide opportunities
for Year 10 Media students to:
Rites of Passage can be used to
teach English, Health and Human
Development, Media, Sociology,
Psychology and VET Community
Services in Years 11 and 12. Teachers
are advised to consult the curriculum
outlines relevant to their state or territory.
Rites of Passage can also be used to
support the teaching of Pastoral Care
programs at Years 10–12. It is important
that students are provided with strategies to support their learning about
themselves and others. Students with
well-developed social and emotional
skills find it easier to manage themselves, relate to others, and develop
resilience and a sense of self.
Within this frame of reference, Rites
of Passage provides opportunities for
students to learn to:
- recognise and understand their own
emotions, values and strengths, and
have a realistic assessment of their
own abilities and a well-grounded
sense of self-esteem and self-confidence (self-awareness);
- manage their emotions and behaviour, persevere in overcoming obstacles, set personal and academic
goals, and develop self-discipline,
resilience, adaptability and initiative
(self-management);
- perceive and understand other
people’s emotions and viewpoints,
show understanding and empathy
for others, identify the strengths of
team members, define and accept
individual and group roles and
responsibilities, and be of service to
others (social awareness);
- form positive relationships, manage and influence the emotions and
moods of others, cooperate and
communicate effectively with others, work in teams, build leadership
skills, make decisions, resolve conflict and resist inappropriate social
pressure (social management).
The examination of ethics through
curriculum projects within and across
learning areas provides students with
the opportunity for engagement with
ethical values, principles and concepts
that improve moral judgment. This
enables them to build a strong ethical
outlook when faced with uncertainty
and conflicting claims and aims to
strengthen their sense of moral purpose
and vision. As a curriculum resource,
Rites of Passage provides opportunities
for teachers and students to address
the four elements of ethical behaviour:
- understanding ethical concepts and
recognising the moral domain;
- knowledge of accepted values and
ethical principles;
- engagement in reasoned moral
decision-making;
- knowledge of common virtues.
Rites of Passage contains coarse
language, sexual activity, crime, drug
use and sexual and domestic violence.
Teachers are advised to preview the film
before showing it to students. Students
should also be briefed about the content
and purpose of Rites of Passage and
the work of Beyond Empathy prior to
viewing. For some students in the class,
viewing Rites of Passage may be both
confronting and upsetting. Teachers
need to respect the circumstances of
these students and remain aware of
their sensitivities.
If teachers would like to screen a version of the film without the scene of the
young woman who trades sex for drugs,
an edited version is available. This
edited version is also recommended
for students aged fifteen and older and
retains the M classification. For this version, please indicate you want to order
the Special Edited Version.
SCREEN EDUCATION © ATOM 2013
- understand the aesthetic, style and
format of a film;
- use critical approaches to analyse
and interpret a film;
- understand how audiences participate in the construction of the
meaning of a film and explain ways
in which a film reinforces or challenges social, cultural and artistic
values;
- use appropriate media terminology and personal interpretations to
describe the structure, content and
aesthetic qualities of a film.
In Year 10 Health and Physical
Education, students are provided with
knowledge, skills and behaviours to enable them to achieve a degree of autonomy in developing and maintaining their
physical, mental, social and emotional
health. Rites of Passage allows students
to discuss the establishment of personal
identity, factors that shape identity and
the validity of stereotypes. In addition,
the film provides a resource for students
to develop an understanding of the right
to be safe and to explore the concepts
of challenge, risk and safety. They can
identify the harms associated with
particular situations and behaviours and
how to take action to minimise these
harms.
2
Running
time:
80 mins
Rites of Passage is a
feature-length drama
made collaboratively
with a group of young
people, who dive below
the surface of their oftentough exteriors to reveal
what’s going on inside.
Filmed over three years by the
community arts organisation
Beyond Empathy (BE), six
interwoven stories show the risktaking, disappointment, joys and
love that come with growing up.
While their stories might be raw
and brutal, they are also full of
irreverence and humour.
The stories are based on
their own experiences. They
might battle homelessness
or addictions. They might live
in public housing or come
from families that have known
hardship. But their performances
on the screen and behind the
camera prove that disadvantage
needn’t dictate your future.
SCREEN EDUCATION © ATOM 2013
N HIS
THE FILM, WHE
THE END OF
AT
ES
RE
S
HOOL TALENT
ELIA
ES IN THE SC
S PARTICIPAT
AS
CL
RY
ET
PO
POEM
ORMING HIS
QUEST, PERF
3
Beyond Empathy
‘We love art and we hate disadvantage!’
Beyond Empathy is a not-for-profit community,
arts and cultural development organisation. Their
mission is to use the arts to influence change in
the lives of individuals and communities experiencing recurring hardship. The Rites of Passage
project addresses the need for communities to
work together to engage with young people who
are experiencing disadvantages.
Visit Beyond Empathy online at <http://be.org.
au> and <https://www.facebook.com/be.org.au>.
The Ten Principles
This film was made according to ten principles.
These principles form the opening sequence of
Rites of Passage. The ten principles appear on
text cards and are intercut with images that set
the scene for the film for locations, types of characters and the stories the viewer will encounter in
the rest of the film.
1. To assist people living with hardship to build
new futures.
2. All key actors must be amateurs and live in
the community where the film is shot.
3. There can be no traditional script and there
must be more than one storyline.
4. The storylines must be developed with the
actors, drawing on their life experiences.
5. If an actor fails to turn up, the shoot
continues, creating a new direction for the
film.
6. The film must be shot in real locations in the
community.
7. Key actors and the production team should
all operate cameras, sound, lighting and other
equipment.
8. Every scene should be shot with different
types of cameras and styles.
9. All the credits must be in alphabetical order,
with no one credited as writer or creator.
10.The first screening must be held in the
community where the film was made.
Rites of Passage was a long
time in development for me. I
began working on the concept
after graduating from the
Victorian College of the Arts
in 1998, where I focused on
filmmaking. The idea was to
create films with people who
experience hardship, and use
the process of filmmaking
to provide these people with
positive opportunities for
change.
DS
, STAN
FORD, LEFT
ILLIP CRAW
TS,
AN
IP
DIRECTOR PH
IC
’S PART
OF THE FILM
BY AS ONE
E
S A SCEN
CKAY, FILM
MICHAEL M
My first opportunity was in 1999 with the
docu-drama film HURT (2000) which was made as part of a violence
prevention project funded by the NSW Government. Young people
collaborated with us in the filmmaking process – telling stories about
their experiences of violence, including domestic violence and the
other things that hurt people. HURT was developed into a five-screen
installation work for one of the first exhibitions created for the Australian
Centre for the Moving Image in Melbourne.
Next came Knot at Home, which aired on SBS – a TV series comprising
eight half-hour episodes about young people’s experiences of feeling not
at home, including homelessness, family breakdowns, drugs and alcohol,
crime, being a refugee, experiencing racism, grief and loss. Both HURT
and Knot at Home became more documentary-style than drama projects.
These projects began to shape my ideas about how to make a full
dramatic work. There have been many great films made using nonprofessional actors and they involved some incredible performances. I
am inspired by filmmakers such as Ken Loach, who often works with
non-actors. But often these directors see many people in casting sessions
before they find the right fit with a character for their script.
Rites of Passage was not made like this. There was no casting. Anyone
who wanted to become involved in the project via a local youth worker
or health worker could have a role, and I had to find a way to make them
‘great’ in the film. We couldn’t start with a script because we didn’t know
what qualities the participants would bring for us to create convincing
stories. Instead we started with who they were and their life experiences.
We shot slowly over the three years. It was really inspiring to see their
performances having inhabited their film characters over that time.
It was such an honour to work in this way with such remarkable
people, who all held cameras and booms and burnt their fingers on
the film lights and sometimes caused mayhem when we were trying to
concentrate. This film also became my rite of passage.
SCREEN EDUCATION © ATOM 2013
• Spend time as a class discussing the ten
principles.
-- Why do you think the ten principles
form the opening sequence of Rites of
Passage?
-- How do the ten principles position an
audience of Rites of Passage?
-- What did you notice about the background of each card?
Director’s Statement –
Phillip Crawford
4
E POETRY
TER IN TH
KANE POR
EM
HAIKU PO
HERE HIS
CLASS, W
TO
S
E
AT
M
HIS CLASS
ERIAL
PROMPTS
AT
M
L
A
N
RE PERSO
WRITE MO
CHAISE BARBARIC,
WHO PLAYS
THE MAIN ROLE IN
THE DOG STORY
Biographies – Main Cast
In keeping with principle nine, the main cast members are listed in alphabetical order.
ώώ Chaise Barbaric – Dog Story
Making this film has been heaps of fun. I hope a lot
of people get to see it.
Chaise, fifteen, lives with his family in Barrack
Heights. He likes riding motorbikes and surfing. He
is studying for his Year 10 certificate at Warilla High
School and wants to work towards owning his own
motorbike shop.
Making this
film has been
heaps of fun.
I hope a lot of
people get to
see it.
Chaise Barbaric
ώώ Lakia Igano – Poetry Class Story
This film taught us not to let the negative define
who we are and who we will become.
Lakia, nineteen, lives in her own apartment in
Wollongong. She is studying business and planning to do a course in Interior Design and Events
in 2014.
ώώ Kane Porter – Poetry Class Story
ώώ Skie Carlson – Party Story
Kane, seventeen, lives with his family in
Warrawong. He is studying his HSC at Warrawong
High School. When he isn’t at school, he works for
a local plumbing business.
It was really exciting making this film, and a great
experience for me. I’m looking forward to seeing
how far it is going to go.
Skie, seventeen, lives with her boyfriend and his
family in Dapto. She is studying for her HSC
at St Joseph’s High School in Albion Park
and works part-time in retail. When she finishes school she wants to work in childcare.
Tiran lives with his family in Warilla. He graduated
from the youth rehabilitation centre Triple Care
Farm in early 2013 and is now planning on training
as an apprentice in construction. He is also hoping
to further his education so he can eventually join
the army.
NO IN
LAKIA IGA
LASS
C
Y
POETR
THE
ώώ Daniel de Filippo – Roman’s
Story
This film has changed my life.
ώώ Tiran Dingle – Thief Story
Doing this film has been hectic. It’s been a
great opportunity for me. I’d recommend it to
anyone.
SCREEN EDUCATION © ATOM 2013
Daniel, twenty-two, lives in his own apartment in Wollongong. He is currently
studying a Diploma in Screen and Media at
Wollongong TAFE.
5
moving to a close analysis of the six stories. Provide
students with an opportunity to share their impressions of Rites of Passage and spend time as a class
discussing students’ questions and concerns.
CHRIS SIMPSON FEATUR
ES IN THE
SKATEBOARDING STO
RY, WHERE
HE FILMS A NEIGHBOUR
WITHOUT
HER KNOWING
ώώ Elias Rees – Poetry Class story
I was always
shy, but not
anymore.
I can do
anything
now.
Chris Simpson
I loved making Rites Of Passage. We all tried really
hard and it paid off big in the end.
Elias, eighteen, lives with his family in Berkeley. He
has now obtained other acting gigs, including the
ABC series Redfern Now, the feature film Around
The Block (Sarah Spillane, 2013) and a short film,
The Chuck In (Jon Bell, 2012).
ώώ Chris Simpson – Skaters’ Story
I was always shy, but not anymore. I can do anything now.
Chris, eighteen, lives with his family in Warrawong.
In 2012 he got a job as a trolley boy at a local
shopping centre. He enjoys work and spending his
hard-earned cash. Chris hopes to one day become
a motorbike mechanic.
First Impressions
Given the scope of Rites of Passage, students may
have questions that need to be answered before
• The promotional posters for Rites of Passage
claim that the film is raw, real and confronting.
What other adjectives would you use to describe Rites of Passage? Explain your choices
by drawing on specific evidence from the film.
• Each story in Rites of Passage is powerful in its
own way. Ask students to share their impressions of one of the stories told by the film.
-- Did you believe in the stories and the
characters?
-- Why is it important to tell stories like those
narrated in Rites of Passage?
Rite of passage
The term ‘rite of passage’ is used to describe milestones in an individual’s life. A rite of passage may
be celebrated by a ceremony or acknowledged by
others in some way. Some rites of passage are associated with religious beliefs and cultural traditions,
while others are more personal in nature and mark an
individual’s increased self-awareness and maturity.
• Working as a class, make a list of rites of
passage.
• Working as an individual, reflect in writing on
the rites of passage that have marked transitions in your life.
• Why is the film titled Rites of Passage? Drawing
on the stories told by the film, create a mind
map that identifies the transitions in the lives of
the main characters.
• Write an imaginative narrative titled ‘Rite of
Passage’. Aim to write 500–750 words. When
you have finished share your story with others
in the class. Discuss your differing interpretations of the title.
NE OF
PSON IN O
CHRIS SIM
TS IN THE
O
H
-RED S
NT
THE INFRA
Y DIFFERE
USES MAN
FILM THAT
RMATS
CAMERA FO
SCREEN EDUCATION © ATOM 2013
6
STORY 1: THE POETRY CLASS STORY
Ty and Kane and their classmates are in Year 10.
While their English teacher Mrs Kaye is away caring
for her dying father, they take advantage of their
relief teachers and misbehave. When Mrs Kaye
returns and tells the class her father died, Ty is
prompted to write a poem about his own father’s
death. Ty’s poem inspires the class to write poetry
based on their personal experiences. Kane writes
a poem about his grandmother who has dementia
and Sienna writes a poem about caring for her
mother who is ill.
Drama teacher Mr Lewis encourages the students
to turn their poetry into a performance for the endof-year talent quest. Ty and Kane are concerned
they will make fools of themselves in front of the
school but eventually come around. Their performance becomes a composite poem based on all
their experiences, and the school audience, while
sceptical at first, are soon affected by their heartfelt
honesty.
Ty’s haiku is about the death of his father:
When my father died
I held my breath in for days
scared to let it go.
When my father died
I felt a dark grey bird was
pecking from inside.
When my father died
bright sun burnt my open eyes
leaving grains of sand.
When my father died
A last breath pushed out grey clouds
And then the rain fell.
A haiku is a form of Japanese poetry. Haiku uses
language to convey the essence of an experience.
The poems consist of three lines of up to seventeen syllables, organised in lines of five, seven and
five syllables. Haiku are often inspired by a moment
of beauty or a poignant experience and draw on
imagery from nature.
Kane’s poem is about his Nan who has dementia:
Sienna’s poem is about
her mother’s poor mental health:
Since mum got sick, I had to grow up quick.
Since mum got sick life has changed.
There were no conclusions.
This medication. That specialist. This procedure.
My brother is nine and my sister is four and someone’s got to keep them safe
and organise them and get them to school and I
became the mum.
• Relief teacher: Shakespeare, anyone read any
Shakespeare?
Kane: Nah.
Ty: Nah.
Shayla: Isn’t he dead?
-- Why don’t the relief teachers engage the
Year 10 class?
-- Moving into Bart Simpson mode, Ty and
Kane decide to play the fool. Ty tells the
replacement teacher his name is Ben Dover.
Kane insists his name is Wayne Kerr.
-- Are Kane and Ty the class clowns? Do they
willingly play this role?
• I hate you haiku.
You are very hard to do.
Go back to Japan.
-- Mrs Kaye asks the class to write poetry that
reflects moments of intense emotion. She
begins the lesson by asking the students to
think about positive emotional responses.
-- Why does Mrs Kaye engage the students’
attention when the other teachers failed to
do so?
-- Sarah’s haiku is about summer. Kane’s
haiku is about boobs. Riley’s is about lollies
and Shayla’s is about hating haiku poetry.
Mrs Kaye approves of the students’ poems.
Ty’s poem is not what the class expected.
Even Mrs Kaye was ready for a comedic
SCREEN EDUCATION © ATOM 2013
My Nan forgets what she had for breakfast today
but she can remember everything her family ate
on Christmas day when she was eight.
My Nan forgets what she said two minutes ago.
She’s forgotten that she has kids.
My Nan thinks my mum is her mum.
Or sometimes my mum is her sister.
Or her best friend from school.
Some people think my Nan is nuts but I think she’s
a time machine.
My Nan has forgotten more than most people ever
will know.
THE POETRY
ELIAS REES IN
HE CREATES
CLASS, WHERE
T THE DEATH
A POEM ABOU
OF HIS FATHER
7
CKETT
ASHLEY LO
STUDENTS
DISON
SARAH AD
(LEFT) AND
ORE THEIR
EF
B
E
STAG
EM
WAIT BACK
E HAIKU PO
NCE OF TH
PERFORMA
T
ES
U
NT Q
HOOL TALE
AT THE SC
I’m a jigsaw
with missing
pieces.
I’m a compass
that never
points north.
I’m a
pathway that
leads to a culde-sac.
I’m a
painting with
no signature.
Taylor
STORY 2: THE THIEF STORY
The thief breaks into houses, then uses the cash
and stolen goods he takes to buy cannabis. He
is homeless and sleeps on the couch at a mate’s
place. During a robbery, he steals a birthday card
written to a ‘Mum’. It is also his mother’s birthday and he visits her, giving her a bracelet he has
bought and the stolen card. She doesn’t accept
the gift as she thinks it’s stolen. The thief asks his
mum if he can attend her birthday celebrations but
she says no because the relationship between the
thief and his father is strained. Even though she is
touched by the words in the card, his plea to her
that he just wants to play happy families seems to
fall on deaf ears.
Just before Christmas, the thief and his mates
commit another burglary. The thief tries to stop
his mates from stealing the stash of Christmas
presents but he is outnumbered. Later he uses
cash he has taken during the burglary to buy the
stolen goods back from the person they sell them
to, and returns the presents to the family. Intent on
doing the right thing rather than wrong, he visits his
parents’ home and leaves Christmas presents on
the doorstep.
The thief may have a home but he is not welcome
there. He is one of the many young Australians
whose lives are compromised by homelessness.
In Australia, youth homelessness affects over
32,000 people. Youth homelessness is considered
SCREEN EDUCATION © ATOM 2013
haiku. Mrs Kaye asks the class to write
another haiku for homework. This time the
class is asked to follow Ty’s example and
write about something that has happened
to them.
-- What do the students’ poems reveal about
the hardships that they have encountered?
• Write a series of haiku poems on a subject of
interest to you. Share your poems with your
peers. Working as a class, turn your poetry into
a performance piece for an audience beyond
the class.
• I’m a jigsaw with missing pieces.
I’m a compass that never points north.
I’m a pathway that leads to a cul-de-sac.
– Taylor
I’m a painting with no signature.
-- Write your own ‘I’m a …’ sentence.
-- As a class, combine the sentences to create
a group identity poem.
• Ty: I don’t want to do this.
Kane: All our mates have heard that we’re
thinking about entering the talent quest and
well, let’s just say they’re all taking the piss
about it.
Sarah: Who gives a stuff what they think?
-- Is it understandable that Ty and Kane are
reluctant to perform their poetry in front of
their peers? Why is Sarah less bothered by
the prospect? Is the performance a success? In what sense do the students experience a rite of passage through writing and
performing their poetry?
8
DANIEL DE FILIPP
O PLAYS
ROMAN IN THE FIL
M,
WHO FALLS IN LO
VE WITH
AMY-LEIGH AND WA
NTS TO
STOP RUNNING AW
AY FROM
HIS FATHER
• What does the thief’s decision to buy his mum
a birthday present reveal about what he wants
his life to be like? Were you surprised that the
thief’s mum thinks her gift is stolen property?
• Mum: Your father is trying to teach you a lesson
in life.
Is it possible that the thief’s father also needs to
learn a lesson in life?
• Why does the thief return the stolen Christmas
presents? Is his action moral? After all, he
uses the money he has stolen from the family
to buy back the presents. Is this act his rite of
passage?
• Do you think the thief will reoffend?
• Reducing homelessness is everyone’s
responsibility.
-- Do you agree?
-- Hold a class forum to discuss youth
homelessness.
STORY 3: ROMAN’S STORY
anyone who is between twelve to twenty-four years
of age and who does not have a physical address
or place to stay.
Young people become homeless for a number of
reasons. In the thief’s case it is evident that conflict
between family members has forced him out of the
family home. The failure of family relationships and
domestic violence are two of the most significant
factors leading to youth homelessness.
Once a young person is homeless, it becomes difficult for the person to find a permanent home again.
Without successful intervention, homeless young
people are more likely to transition from youth to
adult homelessness.
Visit <http://www.youthhomelessnessmatters.net>
to learn more about youth homelessness.
Later, Roman is with Amy-Leigh when he gets a
text message from his mother, saying ‘Hide and
Seek’. This is the family’s cue to leave. Roman is
fed up with the family being on the run but he realises that his mother’s fear of what could happen is
very real. Roman says goodbye to Amy-Leigh.
When Roman is woken by the noise of a car horn,
he discovers that his mother and sister are leaving
without him. Roman’s mother has arranged for him
to stay with Amy-Leigh and go to art school as he
had planned. It is time for Roman to make his own
decisions and shape his own life.
The dominant theme of Roman’s story is family
violence. Family violence is a serious social issue
that affects the health and wellbeing of thousands
of Australians and has far-reaching effects on the
Australian community as a whole.
Family violence is violent, threatening or other
behaviour by a person that coerces or controls a
family member or causes a family member to be
fearful. Family violence includes:
SCREEN EDUCATION © ATOM 2013
• The thief: Reckon I could crash here for a couple of days?
Most homeless young people are couch-surfing
and living in other unstable situations. This
means that they are temporarily staying with
family, friends and sometimes with complete
strangers. These young people will often be
sleeping in whatever spare space is available –
on couches or on the floors of these people’s
houses – until they outstay their welcome and
move on to the next place.
-- Why is the thief couch-surfing rather than
sleeping in his own bed?
-- What does the thief’s story reveal about the
causes of youth homelessness?
-- What does the thief’s story reveal about the
consequences of youth homelessness?
• Working as a class, discuss the reasons why
the thief steals.
Roman, his younger sister Amber and his mother
are moving house again to avoid contact with
Roman’s father, who is prone to violence. It is at
their new home in the country that Roman meets
Amy-Leigh. Roman and Amy-Leigh become
friends, but when Amy-Leigh tries to take their
relationship further, Roman pulls away. Amy-Leigh
is hurt and confused. Roman owes her an explanation. Roman confesses that he is not used to being
close to people. He uses his drawings to tell AmyLeigh the truth, that his name is really Blake and
that the family is in hiding.
9
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Physical assaults;
Direct or indirect threats;
Sexual assault;
Emotional and psychological torment;
Economic control;
Property damage;
Social isolation;
Any behaviour that causes a person to live in
fear.
While family violence can be perpetrated by any
member of a family against another, it is more likely
to be perpetrated by men (predominately by a
woman’s current or ex-partner) against women and
children.
STORY 4: THE SKATERS’ STORY
Chris and his mates Summer and Myles spend
most of their spare time making skateboard
videos. Chris’ neighbour, Jo, lets the gang use her
driveway to skate. Chris videos Jo and becomes
infatuated with her. He films her through her
window getting undressed at night. He films her
fighting with her partner Phil. He films her bruised
face. One night he records the sound of Jo and Phil
arguing.
The skateboarders are worried when days go by
and they haven’t seen Jo. When Jo does turn up,
having spent some time away from Phil, Chris
carries her bag inside, leaving his camera on the
table to secretly film the conversation between the
couple. Chris decides the way forward is to give Jo
a DVD of the footage, thinking she might like to use
it for a domestic violence complaint to the police.
But Jo has decided to stay with Phil and doesn’t
appreciate the DVD. Although she understands that
Chris is trying to help her, she makes him promise
to stop filming her and asks him to delete all the
video files of her on his computer.
Domestic violence refers to acts of violence that
occur between people who have, or have had, an
intimate relationship in domestic settings. These
acts include physical, sexual, emotional and
psychological abuse. Domestic violence is most
commonly perpetrated by males against their female partners, but it also includes violence against
men by their female partners and violence within
SCREEN EDUCATION © ATOM 2013
• Spend time as a class discussing the ways that
Roman’s mother has attempted to build a safer
life for herself and her children.
-- What does Roman’s story reveal about
the impact of family violence on family
members?
• Working with a partner, use the internet to find
out more about a government or non-government organisation that supports the victims of
family violence. Use PowerPoint to share your
findings with the class. Limit your presentation
to five slides. Make sure that you include words
and images in your presentation. You may
include audio.
• Amy-Leigh has never moved house. Roman
has moved twelve times since he was ten. How
has Roman’s sense of identity been shaped by
always being on the move?
• Amy-Leigh: Why haven’t you shown me any of
your drawings before? What else are you hiding
from me?
-- Why does Roman tell Amy-Leigh the truth
about his family’s circumstances?
• Roman: So we’re just packing up and leaving?
-- Why does Roman choose to challenge his
mother’s decision to run?
-- Why does Roman’s mother think that she
has no other alternative but to run?
• Roman’s mum: You’re not coming. I called
Amy-Leigh’s parents last night and they said
you can stay with them and you can go to art
school like you planned. I know you will be ok, I
couldn’t do this otherwise. I love you.
-- Does Roman’s mum make the right
decision?
DYLAN LAWRENCE
(LEFT)
AND MYLES MARTIN,
PART OF
A GROUP OF YOUNG
PEOPLE
OBSESSED WITH MA
KING VIDEOS
OF THEIR SKATING
ANTICS
10
same-sex relationships. Given the private nature
of the relationships within which the abuse occurs,
most incidents of domestic violence go unreported.
• What does this story reveal about the causes of
domestic violence?
-- What does this story reveal about the consequences of domestic violence?
• Jo: It’s always my fault, it’s never anything that
you do, it’s always me.
-- What do Jo and Phil fight about?
• Phil: I promise, babe, it won’t happen again, I
promise.
-- Is there any evidence that Phil is genuinely
remorseful?
• Summer: If she had any brains at all she would
have pissed off ages ago.
-- What does Summer’s assessment of Jo’s
predicament reveal about community attitudes to domestic violence?
-- Why does Jo choose to stay with Phil?
• Why does Chris want to help Jo?
• The White Ribbon campaign is a global, maleled movement to stop men’s violence against
women. The White Ribbon Foundation asserts
that domestic violence is a men’s issue because a minority of men treat women and girls
with contempt and violence, and it is up to the
majority of men to create a culture in which this
is unacceptable.
Learn about White Ribbon day online at <http://
www.whiteribbon.org.au>.
• Jo: I know you’re trying to help me but this isn’t
the way to do it. You’re going to make things
worse.
-- Is Jo right to think that taking the DVD to
the police will only make her situation more
difficult?
-- If you knew Jo, what advice would you give
her about keeping herself safe?
STORY 5: THE PARTY STORY
Skie and Diahna are loitering outside a bottle shop,
looking for someone to buy them alcohol. They are
excited when a young man agrees to buy them a
bottle of vodka. They accept the offer of waiting in
the warmth of his car and soon find themselves at
a house party.
Diahna begins to feel worse and Skie wants to go
home. A fight erupts and the boy that Skie has
been flirting with gets kicked out of the house.
A young woman arrives at the house asking for
drugs. She doesn’t have any money so she agrees
to exchange sex for the drugs. When Skie tries
to call her mum, she realises that her SIM card is
missing.
When Skie asks for her SIM card to be returned,
she is propositioned. Diahna suddenly dashes to
the toilet to throw up. Skie goes to help her friend
but while she is standing outside the toilet, she
sees the young woman having sex. She looks away
horrified and terribly aware of how trapped she and
her friend are.
It is illegal for someone under the age of eighteen to drink or buy alcohol in most states. Skie
and Diahna’s story is about the risks associated
with underage drinking, particularly for females.
Drinking interferes with good judgement, leading
young people into risky behaviour and making
them vulnerable to alcohol-related harm. Drinking
to intoxication can lead young people into situations that might be dangerous, embarrassing or
that they may later regret.
• Working as a class, make a list of the choices
that Skie and Diahna make.
-- Why do the girls make these choices?
• The girls are planning on drinking in the park.
-- Why do they accept the invitation to the
party?
• What is drink-spiking? What dangers does it
pose for Skie and Diahna?
• Do the girls only have themselves to blame for
their predicament?
• Drawing on this story, list the risks of underage
drinking.
• What advice should Skie and Diahna have been
given about the risks of underage drinking?
SCREEN EDUCATION © ATOM 2013
At the party, Skie smokes some cannabis and
starts having fun. Diahna is not so adventurous.
A male partygoer spikes her drink to get her into
the mood. She starts to feel unwell and goes to
the toilet. While she is gone, two young men start
competing for Skie’s attention.
G
N, THE YOUN
SKIE CARLSO
IS
RD
SIM CA
GIRL WHOSE
BILE
OM HER MO
FR
ED
REMOV
Y
E PART
PHONE AT TH
11
• ‘Don’t turn a night out into a nightmare’ is a
Federal Government initiative designed to
encourage teenagers and young adults to think
about the choices they make about drinking,
and particularly the possible negative consequences of excessive alcohol consumption.
The campaign shows how a night out, which
is full of positive expectations, can go horribly
wrong.
The website can be accessed at <http://
www.drinkingnightmare.gov.au/internet/
DrinkingNightmare/publishing.nsf>.
CHAISE BARBARIC
AND HIS
FRIENDS ARE INTO
PLAYING WITH
FIRE, AND ON ONE
OCCASION
CHAISE BURNS HIS
CLOTHES
HT A FIRE
AND HIS FRIENDS LIG
CHAISE BARBARIC
NTROL
CO
SOON GETS OUT OF
IN THE BUSH THAT
can hear the siren of a fire engine in the distance.
The dog runs off in the direction of the fire engine
but is hit by a falling tree. Chaise tries to pull Sam
out from under the burning tree but the dog is
dead.
STORY 6: THE DOG STORY
Chaise and his mates are into causing mayhem
– shoplifting, trespassing, playing with lighters,
hanging at the shops. Wherever Chaise goes, so
does his dog Sam, who is as wild as Chaise and
the boys.
One day, Chaise goes fishing with his father and
uncle, leaving the dog behind. They return to find
that the dog has pulled all the clothes off the line.
Uncle Troy threatens to take the dog to the pound,
much to Chaise’s consternation. Chaise and his
mates borrow a book on how to train a dog from
the local library. Dog-training starts poorly but the
boys gradually make headway and Sam’s obedience impresses both Chaise’s father and his Uncle
Troy.
One day the boys light a fire under an abandoned car in the bush. The fire gets out of
control and they run away. In the mayhem of
their exit from the scene, Chaise falls over,
knocking himself out. When he comes to,
with Sam tugging at his sleeve and whining,
Chaise grabs the dog and tries to escape. He
LOCATION
SCREEN EDUCATION © ATOM 2013
When Chaise’s father discovers that Chaise
is wagging school, he is disappointed. He is
trying his best to look after Chaise since his
mother abandoned him and is grateful for
the opportunities that they have been given
by Uncle Troy.
THE CAST AND CREW OF RITES
OF PASSAGE FILMING ON
• Why do Chaise and his mates look for trouble?
• Why is Chaise determined to train Sam?
• What do the attempts to train Sam reveal about
the boys’ skills and potential?
• Chaise: No-one was at school today. Some of
them don’t even go at all.
Dad: Why’s that?
Chaise: Expelled.
-- Why do you think Chaise and his mates
don’t go to school?
• Dad: Look, mate, your mum sent you to live
with me because she said she couldn’t
12
handle you. I’ve got myself a steady job, moved
in with Uncle Troy so you could have a stable
house and what do you think welfare is going
to say if I can’t even get you to go to school?
-- Does Chaise’s Dad provide him with the
care he needs?
For Media students:
Filming Rites of Passage began in July 2009. The
final shoot took place in October 2012. Rites
of Passage was a collaborative project. The
cast and crew of disadvantaged young people
worked on all aspects of the film, from script to
sound to acting.
• Watch a video about the making of Rites
of Passage at <http://www.youtube.com/
watch?v=ggiTtOOF2DE>. The participants
speak about the film and how the making of it
has transformed their lives.
-- What do the comments reveal about the
place of creativity in the lives of disadvantaged youth and the benefits of the Rites of
Passage project?
-- Do you think a film like Rites of Passage
can empower individuals? In what ways?
-- Can a film like Rites of Passage develop
a sense of social responsibility in the
audience?
• What does Rites of Passage reveal about the
commitment of the director Phillip Crawford
and the Beyond Empathy team?
• The film was shot on cameras ranging from
16mm, Super 8, Digital SLRs, Handycams and
B&W Infrared to iPhones.
-- Do you like the way the film looks? What
elements of the production did you find
engaging?
• Rites of Passage ends in a cinema. The cast
members are watching the finished film for the
first time.
-- Why is this a
fitting finish for the film?
• Do you think Rites of Passage is an authentic
portrayal of the life experiences of disadvantaged youth?
TH ROBINA
KANE PORTER WI
S HIS
AY
BEARD, WHO PL
THE FILM,
IN
R
GRANDMOTHE
HE HELPS
E
ER
IN A SCENE WH
EE
TR
A
HER CLIMB
Going further
• The following topics could be discussed via
written responses, debates, panel discussions
and online forums.
-- Rites of Passage proves that disadvantage
doesn’t have to dictate your future. Discuss.
-- Growing up is not always easy. Use this
prompt to initiate a discussion of Rites of
Passage.
-- ‘Rites of Passage takes us from hurt to
hope.’
-- ‘Rites of Passage reinforces the importance
of valuing each person’s story.’ Discuss.
Post a comment about the film on the Rites
of Passage Facebook page at <https://www.
facebook.com/ritesofpassagefilm>.
Visit <http://www.ritesofpassage.org.au> for more
online video resources and discussion about the
film.
This study guide was produced by ATOM. (© ATOM 2013)
ISBN: 978-1-74295-339-7 [email protected]
Join ATOM’s email broadcast list for invitations to free screenings,
conferences, seminars, etc. Sign up now at <http://www.atom.asn.au/lists/>.
For hundreds of articles on Film as Text, Screen Literacy, Multiliteracy and
Media Studies, visit <http://www.theeducationshop.com.au>.
SCREEN EDUCATION © ATOM 2013
For information on SCREEN EDUCATION magazine, or to download other
study guides for assessment, visit <http://www.metromagazine.com.au>.
13