This weeks assignment was much trickier than the last one. Trickier in the sense that it needed a more personal approach. I have spent days researching the types of works that have been done on this topic. I think this is the first time I went to google page 2. Anyway, the stories seem to be a bit generic, and this is a consistent problem. For example we have stories that usually include an old person reminiscing his whole life. Either he is about to die, on his death bed or alone and without a family. A similar approach can be seen using animals. Although they may be dramatic and touchy interpretations but are been there done that type of things.
For me the most effective ones are;
The Little Prince (2015 film)
“Growing up is not the problem, but forgetting is.” One of the most uplifiting quotes in the film that makes you realise that we have a limited time and need to live the most of it. Directed by Mark Osborne (Creator of KungFu Pand) The Little Prince is not a direct adaptaion of the novel, but still uses the novel as its plot device. In the film the novel is basically a novel but it is narrated by an old man (the aviator). At the heart of it all is The Little Girl, who’s being prepared by her mother for the very grown-up world in which they live – only to be interrupted by her eccentric, kind-hearted neighbor, The Aviator. The Aviator introduces his new friend to an extraordinary world where anything is possible. A world that he himself was initiated into long ago by The Little Prince. It’s here that The Little Girl’s magical and emotional journey into her own imagination – and into the universe of The Little Prince – begins. And it’s where The Little Girl rediscovers her childhood and learns that ultimately, it’s human connections that matter most, and that what’s truly essential can only be seen with the heart.
The Little Prince (1943 Novel)
Although a children’s book, the story has a deep message about loneliness, friendship, sadness, and love. The prince is a small boy from a tiny planet (an asteroid to be precise), who travels the universe, planet-to-planet, seeking wisdom. On his journey, he discovers the unpredictable nature of adults.
If we delved into the sci-fi category then we have a never ending library. Total recall would be an ideal example where the protagonist envisons to visit colonized Mars and one day gets tired of his mundane life goes to a comapny called “Rekall”. They plant false memories into people’s brains, in order to experience the thrill of Mars without having to travel there. But something goes wrong during the procedure; Quaid discovers that his entire life is actually a false memory and that the people who implanted it in his head now want him dead.
Best Friend (2018)
The film tackles the norms of having a perfect life and how life would be depressing without friends. It takes a sci-fi turn 10 seconds into the film, where we are introducted to the long rumored concept of implanting chips in our heads where we could implant all sorts of memories into our brain. The film highlights depression and how addictive it can get when not treated properly.
Nostalgia – Short Film
The film borrows a page from Toy story 3 where andy is going of to college and we see him making the hard choice of giving up his childhood friends – His Toys. The short film borrows heavily from it and shows that we don’t have to let go of everything, we can also carry its memories.
Another interesting approach for the topic came in the shape of a film called “Motorcycle girl”.
The Pakistani film is directed by Adnan Sarwar and tells the story of girl who travels to the north of Pakistan on a motorbike to bury the ashes of his father, as it was his father’s dream to travel to the Khunjarab Pass (China Border). On her journey she befriends and old man. They develop a father-daughter sort of bond. In the end when she is reaches the border it is revealed that the old man was spirit of his father.
All of these examples are what standout for me in terms of drama, writing and execution. I think The Little Prince has struck a cord and will try to do something on those lines.
References
Best Friend. 2018. [Film] Directed by Shen Yi, Juliana De Lucca, Varun Nair, David Feliu Nicholas Olivieri. France: Gobelins.
Mototrcycle Girl. 2018. [Film] Directed by Adnan Sarwar. Pakistan: Logos Films.
Nostalgia – Short film. 2019. [Film] Directed by Theodor Colbing. s.l.: Cobling Pictures.
Saint-Exupéry, A. d., 1943. The Little Prince. s.l.:s.n.
The Little Prince. 2015. [Film] Directed by Mark Osborne. France: Netflix.
Total Recall. 1990. [Film] Directed by Paul Verhoeven. s.l.: Carolco Pictures.
Arsalan Awais 