Here's where you can answer it!

- Why is it that short films are so much more popular in Europe than in the USA?

Until we watched a series of short films in our class, I had never really been exposed to this type of entertainment before. While I had heard of short films before (though I couldn't tell you the names of any), America as a whole has never really seemed to take a great interest in them. I believe one of the reasons is because the price of a movie theater ticket is so expensive in the United States. When people go to see a movie, they want to get what their paying for. In the United States, going to a movie is associated with taking a family night out or going on a date. People aren't going to sit down for a short film and then leave 15 minutes later. Movies serve as a form of entertainment in the United States and I believe many Americans like sitting through a long movie (IF it's good). While I haven't seen many short films, just from the ones I saw in class I realized that many of these types of films really make you think. American films on the other hand are typically about love or making the viewer laugh, not so much thinking. I believe Americans have just grown accustomed to these longer types of movies and it's going to be hard to change what is considered the norm here. Movie producers know what the people here want, so I don't see an increase in the short film industry happening anytime soon, though websites like Youtube are helping its cause. -Shawn Mirmina

There are many reasons why short films are not as prominent in the United States, but I believe the most significant reason is that the United States does not demand short films. When Americans buy movies or attend the theatre they want the most bang for their buck and watching a short film is not worth it to them. In order for short films to sell they must be bundled with others and Americans don't want to be bombarded with many different stories and would rather watch one long story. In addition, Americans are bombarded by short films in commercials, and television in general can be viewed as a collection of short films. The fact is that Americans go to the movies for something different and movies are something that you have to set time aside for, Americans want to enjoy one movie to relaxingly watch and to talk about afterwords.-Michelle Jones

I agree with Michelle that America is truly bombarded by short films in commercials. It's crazy to see how many commercials take up an hour slot of TV, but as I started to think about it many commercials can come across as a type of short film. While some simply advertise a product, others tell a story and have a message behind them. I came across a commercial on Youtube the other day that was banned from television (I believe somewhere in Europe). While it's only a minute or so in length, it's message is clear (and pretty funny). -Shawn Mirmina




I have to agree with Shelly, there really isn't any demand for short films in the U.S. Long films have become part of American culture; between westerns and historical films, the original film genres, and the troubled romance, documentary, and comedy genres, there is no room for short films. This is mainly because there is no pre-developed place for short films within this cinema culture. We are used to long, drawn out films and there is no substitution for that. There is no reason why many Americans could not become accustomed short films given time and additional exposure to them in movie theaters, but that is just a risk American cinematographers do not seem to be taking right now. -Kathleen Silva



I am going to agree with Shelly on this as well. I know personally that when I watch a movie I want to be entertained for a certain period of time, at least an hour or so and with a short film you don't get that. You are only entertained for a brief period, it's like a tease. Short films typically run about ten minutes and that just isn't cutting it. -Joel Altiery



I have to agree with everyone else on this one. The US prefer the longer films because they want to get what they pay for and don't want many short films since we see them in commercials. The US seems to want more out of a movie, true that doesn't necessarily mean a good story line or things like that. You get more going on in the longer films and they can be more complex then the short films. It has nothing to do with how much goes into it since it is as much work to make a short film as it is to make a long one. -Jamie Pryor

American typically want to watch a movie because they want to feel a relation to the character on screen. It's common to watch a love story and reflect on a love that you share, or a love that you might want to share. Or guys who watch the matrix and envision themselves flipping off walls and shooting down bad guys one handedly, (okay maybe that one is just the Halo fans), but I feel that Americans can only develop these bonds after they have developed a sense of trust in the character. In most movies there is a lot of background information that helps develop the character's identity and thus we form a connection. Americans LOVE THIS! Or else you wouldn't have cried at the end of Armageddon or Titanic. This connection that we build can only be formed in a long film and not a short one, and that's why we can only see these short films on the surface, just for the things that we see and never find a way to associate them. ~Joe Pena~

I agree with Joe in the idea that Americans like to identify with the characters and themes portrayed in movies. This is how we going picking who we want to win our favorite reality show and whether or not we want to root for the bad guy or good guy in a movie. When we watch a movie it is common to form an emotional bond with a character. It is because of this connection that people get angry at characters in movies and sometimes cry and at other times laugh. -- Shawn Mirmina --

I think it's interesting that Jamie said that American's want more out of a movie, even if it is lacking the storyline. I think this is evident in so many box-office hits. It seems like millions of dollars are spent on developing epic special effects and grandiose fight scenes, but what happened to the plot? It's funny how in many of the short films that we watched, there was an interesting storyline with simple cinematography. It seems that full-length movies give up on creating the story and focus on the aesthetics of the film. Granted, there are those films that are able to capture one's attention with the visual as well at suck the viewer in with the perfect plot line, but I feel like these movies are few and far between these days. Also, I agree with Joe in that Americans love movies in which they are able to connect with the characters. Good short films accomplish this in an equally vivid way as full-length films, but Americans are generally less open-minded than Europeans and are therefore much less likely to agree with this statement. There are probably very few people in this country who would think of short films on the same level as full-length cinema. -Holly Elliott
I have to agree with everyone on this, there are lots of different reasons which combined result in two different film industries. A large part of why Europe is where short films are produced instead of America is that European film creators are able to pack their entire story into a few short minutes. I think that's exactly the problem here in America- we don't bother cutting out the unnecessary parts of films because we can afford to produce really long movies. It is the editing that makes short films amazing-their ability to convey the same emotions as long films in such a short time span. -Kathleen Silva

I think that it is interesting what Shawn stated about how Americans don’t really want to think when they are at the movies. Perhaps this may be one of the reasons why Europeans find Americans so lazy and inconsiderate. Americans go to the movies not realizing how much went into the production of the movie and just use it to their own advantage. The reason I am stating this is not to put Americans under a bad light but perhaps to show the different viewpoints of Americans and Europeans when they do watch a movie. -Michelle Jones


- After having watched Clement's film Forbidden Games, what do you consider "forbidden games" in the 21st century?

I would have to say the "forbidden game" referred to in the movie is making a game out of death itself. The children created a cemetery full of dead animals and for them this was a form of entertainment. Death, especially in wartime, is not something that is talked about with ease and excitement, yet for the children in this movie the cemetery was like their playground. Instead of grieving the loss of her parents, the young girl in the movie helps the boy steal crosses to put above the graves. In the 21st century an example of a forbidden game for children would be skipping school. In today's world a parent won't only be mad that their child lied to them, but also because parents today always want to know where their kids are. They watch the news and know about all the people out there and the scary things going on. Usually children are forbidden to stay out past a certain time and are not allowed to hang out in certain places. The 21st century is full of rules and regulations for children in an effort to keep them safe. -- Shawn Mirmina

I interpreted the forbidden games of the young children in the movie as items or materials that have an immense meaning to adults and less of a intense meaning to children. In the movie the forbidden games were those of stealing crosses from graves and giving the crosses to a pet cemetery. In thinking of some other “forbidden games” I have to start by wondering what adults find to be overly symbolic and meaningful, and children just do not understand. Perhaps a “forbidden game” might be playing dress up with your mother’s jewelry. The children might find it fun and may break the jewelry, but to the adult this is a “forbidden game” because the jewelry may be very expensive or passed down from generation to generation. It raises the question of when do adults get so serious about material items, and is it necessarily a bad thing? -Michelle Jones

I would consider "forbidden games" anything that kids do that they aren't supposed to be doing. In the 21st century a good example of this is underage drinking. Scavenging through your parents liquor cabinet for a drink and replacing the bottle with water in it instead of vodka - we see this type of thing all over the place today. It's exactly the same as what the two kids did in the film who were stealing from their parents. Kids think they are entitled to the things their parents have, even if they are using it for a different purpose.
-Kathleen


In this century, children are taught games almost as soon as they develop any traces of coherence.We start by learning simple, pointless games by our families, like peek-a-boo or patticake. These interactions represent a kind of innocence in that no one wins or loses. As we grow, games become a bit more complex. A new facet has been added since there is now a sense of accomplishing a goal. One foot in each box for hopscotch; if you stumble or trip, you lose, and the next one in line gets to go, but if you make it to the end, congratulations! It seems that we bore of these games quickly and start to develop new twists that allow us to compare our results with our peers - we begin to engage in competition with each other. Our games develop rules, and with rules come winners and losers; skills start occupying a key role in our games. War is the ultimate extreme of competition. Literally, two nations are competing against each other to become the victor with complete disregard for the well-being of the other side. It's obvious why war isn't referred to as a game: there is no sense of innocence. In fact, war can be deemed the complete opposite of innocence, the antithesis of the actual word. In Forbidden Games, I feel like war is the ultimate forbidden game of the 21st century. We like to instill a sense of sportsmanship in our youth, yet we are quick to assume that as soldiers, our army will regard the enemy as inhuman. We forbid violence of any sort in games from kindergarten though professional sports. A warrior is exactly what we try to teach youth not to be in modern society, yet in wartime, disregard for the enemy is a highly regarded skill. I think that the film tried to shed light on the effects of war in the 21st century on all ages and the loss of innocence in its survivors as a consequence.
-Holly

I thought it was interesting how Holly mentioned the concept of violence that is taught throughout our youth. We are told to avoid violence and restrain from the temptation to physically hurt someone no matter how upset we are. Fighting often results in punishment, ranging from getting grounded to getting arrested. Yet, when an 18 year old joins the army, they are expected to put their lives on the line and kill the enemy if necessary. The same 18 year old who in Little League shook his opponents hands after the game, no matter what the outcome, is told to take the lives of people he doesn't even know.The more kills a solider has, the more they are usually praised. It's a totally bizarre concept in my mind to think that I could ever kill someone when up to this point in my life I have never even been in a fist fight. --- Shawn Mirmina

What Kathleen said about children feeling entitled to their parents belongings is very true. I am concerned about why kids believe this and where did they learn it? Perhaps it is because they were always given things by their parents as they were growing up, so it does not feel like stealing to them, because if their parents gave the children their belongings before then why do parents have to be present when you use their possessions. I think it is interesting that even as young children we develop this sense of entitlement to our parents items and children are used to it. In the movie it is clearly shown that these children are not seeing their actions as wrong and they are not only stealing from their parents but from others in the community. I think that as children we need to one day experience a forbidden game in order to understand that possessions are sacred to those who own them and that we are not entitled to everything, this is a fundamental lesson that must be taught in order to function in society. -Michelle Jones

Whatever happened to the good old days of playground fun?? The times where one could play rounds of "Your Momma," cops and robbers, BB(beat-up) basketball and others not bothered. It seems that in the current day and age in America there is a push away from the traditional kid fun games. Kids are encouraged to engage in games that keep them away from the stark realities of life. In agreeing with previous comments children are kept away from topics such as drugs, sex and violence, but video games provide the counterbalance. Game systems provide an escape into a limitless reality tangible through imaginative play. However, having restrictions imposed on them like Joel and Shawn mention creates a desire to go out and experience these games first hand. Violence plays a major role as serving a negative connotation. Civil servants who constantly are in the line of fire (cops, firefighters, soldiers, medical workers) are key assets to our society, but yet the activities to prep for the fields are discouraged. Other forbidden games include those with unclear sexuality roles. In this day and age of more open declaration of different sexualities, there is a fear of allowing youth to become swayed from the norm. Toys are colored a certain way and marketed towards a specific spectrum of its consumer. -Addler Pluviose

We've come to the conclusion that a major point of Duteurtre's book "The Little Girl and the Cigarette" is to mock the 21st century. Why is it that we need to do that? Everyone always says "things are going to get better", after having read this book, are we moving forward or backward?

I believe one of the main reasons people mock our society, especially people from other countries, is the impression we give off through our television shows and celebrities. Take a look at some of the shows on TV today - Flava Flav, Tila Tequila, and Moment of Truth. While I won't lie and say I don't occasionally watch these shows, they carry the constant themes of stupidity, degrading women (and sometimes men), making people act in humiliating ways, and rewarding people for telling the truth. Televisions are everywhere in the world, and so are American TV shows. People watch these shows and must think Americans are crazy. Then you think about the impression our celebrities give off, Brittney Spears and Lindsey Lohan in general, with the drugs and constant trouble with the law they find themselves in. I believe after reading this book the that we are definitely moving backwards. I believe "The Little Girl and the Cigarette" shows the flaws in our legal system and our obsession with TV. - Shawn Mirmina

I think people feel the need to mock the 21st century because we've come so far in the past 150 years that no one knows if we're heading in the right direction anymore. There are few places in the world that haven't been affected by the changes in technology that have taken place recently, but no one complains about the existence of third world countries, just the fact that nothing is happening to make them better off. Instead of mocking the fact that there are still parts of the world that are not progressing like the rest, people pick on the fact that some places, such as the United States, have perhaps progressed too far. Of course everyone always says "things are going to get better" because the world wants to believe that all of the progress we have made in the past few centuries has been leading somewhere positive. If people believed the world was moving backward instead of forward, there would be mass hysteria.
-Kathleen
I think that we feel the need to mock the 21st century because there are so many instances of technology hurting us instead of driving us forward. The Internet is the most powerful tool anyone could even imagine for mediating the spread of information on an international level. However, it has quickly become a means for communicating on the most basic of social levels. I think that the generation below us will grow up lacking vital person to person communication skills. It's hard to communicate feelings through a computer screen, but many people (like my 17 year old brother) will sooner send an instant message than call a friend on the phone. We also have become obsessed with giving everyone a fair chance in society, to the point that people feel entitled to rights that go above and beyond equality. Like Yovanny said above, it really does seem like you can be sued for anything. A great example is the number of lawsuits where someone who clearly was careless can claim they were wronged by a company, and receive a hefty sum of money. It's easy to wonder if technology and equality is really carrying us forward or if, in the long run, it's dragging us backwards.
-Holly Elliott

In my opinion our society in the 21st century is heavily mocked because we are living in a world that is under a constant development to improve all aspects of life, but by the same token try to instill too many rules that keep people suppressed in their own freedom. Like Holly had said about technological advancements and how they have come so far (from computers, to cellphones) these pieces of equipment help all aspects of society such as simplifying the means of communication, but also it creates a distance because of the lack of interpersonal communication that is essential to upholding the structure of this society. But also consider other aspects that creates a distance in society, such as discrimination (races, gender, religion, mental capacity), these negative entities that people view other people doesn't help in the structure of our society. The attempt to better our school systems, by putting metal detectors in our school facilities to monitor for weapons makes many students feel violated, as if they were criminals.. If you treat people with distrust and suspect the worst, then it might be the intention of those people to make your fears come true to spite you by turning your fear into a reality and rebelling. This also breaks down the bonds in society.
~Joe Pena

The whole idea of mocking the 21st century is sort of hypocritical because it is poking fun at being overly critical on every aspect of life, but are we not analyzing ourselves at the same time. I believe that we as 21st century beings recognize the fact that we want our world to improve. The saying that is referred above is the recognition that in general people want "things" or life to get better. What differs between people is how do you go about making life better. For some it is more legislation and more protection for the "little guy" but for others it is more freedoms and individualism. The constant battle between these groups is what our government tries to make balance, but personally I believe that the United States has tried to hard to protect the the minority, at the expense of the majority. Most people do want to be free to do what they please and not have to worry about being sued. In our current time, it is difficult to do whatever one wants to do because of the overprotection of those who feel they are victimized. America does not want any "victims" which leads to protecting them with laws, leading to more court cases, and even more laws. As long as we realize this and understand where we are heading, the future should be better, but if not then we may not be as free as we think and perhaps a large change may come about. -Michelle Jones

I agree with what Shawn said above. Foreigners mock our society because of the ridiculous things that they see on television. Thats all they have to go off of and you cant really blame them for it. I mean was I the only one who saw Miss South Carolina? Wow, after watching her attempt to answer a simple question I was embarrassed to call myself an American. She gives everyone in the U.S. a bad name and its no wonder that people mock our society because if I was an outsider, after watching her I would think that every American is dumb and naive. -Joel Altiery

The 21st century presents a canvas of behavior demanding to be looked at mockingly. Society as a whole is a joke. People are only united and aware of a situation when it has implications that affect them directly. In most recent times, representing the rapid rise in communications and media, September 11th served as an example of U.S. nationalism (phony or selective as it was demonstrated). However, why did the mass population not care or pay attention to the factors leading to attack (i.e. the injustices occurring with American weapons). It is therefore no surprise that Duteurtre would use Martyr Idol as a mechanism for conveying his message. The media as previously mentioned by earlier comments, bombards the airways with pure nonsense. The troubling fact in this is that an overwhelming number of the world population will indulge in brain deteriorating entertainment, only to complain later that quality of life is dropping. -Addler

The comment that was made by Kathleen is, I think, extremely important because technology is moving so rapidly that we do not stop to analyze how our technology will affect us or how it already has. The fact that we do not review our state in technology just shows how people don't want to take responsibility for their actions and would rather ignore the issues and move forward to a new technology. Only when the issues become a reality will we really make an effort to fix our mistakes. Take for example global warming. Our generation needs to make changes right now in order to help future generations, but instead little is changing. What will it take to change our behaviors? Most likely when global warming becomes a reality and there is no more oil to burn. Still we will need to rely on technology to help us out of our future problems instead of realizing how we ourselves can change.
-Michelle Jones

I have to agree with what everyone had to say. In truth this country is going in both directions. People from other countries do look down on us and our society can and have been mocked. As others have mentioned technology has been moving forward and that can be a big help to society. The downside is that the technology makes people more lazy and less willing to do things for themselves but on the up it can help people due to advances. What is bringing things down is how society seems to be progressing. It seems like people care less about others and the actual world as a whole. The future can really go either way it just depends on how people use the improvements that are and will continue to develop. (I finally got to a friend's computer so hope this will post) - Jamie

After having read and watched Monsieur Ibrahim and the Flowers of the Koran, what do you think the message is?


I think the message of the book is "don't judge a book by its cover". Just like Momo shouldn't judge Ibrahim just because the people on the street call him an "Arab", he shouldn't judge the Koran because it might have an important message in it (or just flowers). I think that through Momo's experiences we are supposed to learn that nothing is really the way it seems and people can surprise you. - Kathleen Silva



After reading Monsieur Ibrahim and the Flowers of the Koran, the message that most strikes me was that life can surprise people and having a belief can help people understand what they are frustrated about in their life and overcome them. I would not say that a particular religious belief is necessary for a revelation but just taking a moment to listen to yourself can help someone when they are struggling to find their way in life. It also illuminates the fact that people often make assumptions about how their life will be and who they will associate with. In contrast to this belief the book reflects the fact that our lives are never set in stone and that we can choose our own path and friends, whatever they may be. The message is thus one of reflection and growth in life through faith and listening to oneself.
-Michelle Jones.



I believe the message in Monsieur Ibrahim and the Flowers of the Koran is that you find things in the most unexpected places. Sometimes the things you look for are right underneath your nose. Throughout the story Momo didn't have a parent to turn to. His father didn't really care about him, left him and his mother abandoned him when he was younger. I bet he never thought that he would find a parent like figure in the grocery store next to his house and that that person would be an "Arab". This book shows you that you never should judge people without getting to know them and that what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. Momo grows up because of his relationship with Ibrahim and is able to accept his past and not dwell on it. Thats why I believe that things happen in your life for a reason. -Joel Altiery

I agree with Joel that the most important message in Monsieur Ibrahim and the Flowers of the Koran is to "never judge a book by its cover". I believe this concept is illustrated perfectly when Monsieur Ibrahim blindfolds Momo and takes him to the different places of worship. He presents the different religions to Momo not by their history and beliefs, but simply by their smell. He doesn't preach to Momo his own religion and doesn't force his beliefs onto him. He isn't concerned with the labels of the world, but rather he teaches Momo to understand his own existence. Though Monsieur Ibrahim wasn't related to Momo, he was the closest thing to a father figure he ever had. -- Shawn Mirmina

I would say the overall message is that a person's origins doesn't predetermine the identity you're going to have. Moses comes from a Jewish background and already had a foundation of beliefs, even though it was weak it was still there. When he met Ibrahim that all changed. Moses transformed into a different a person and created a new foundation with the help of Mr.Ibrahim. The book made it seem like that religion was important with Moses's conversion from Judaism to the religion of Islam, but it's more about the transformation of Moses to Momo. Momo now looks at life the same way Ibrahim looked at it and lives life more optimistically. His father's failures in raising him were washed away when Moses became Momo. The life of Moses has no effect on the life of Momo. - Yovanny Henao

I feel like the message in Monsieur Ibrahim is that religion doesn't determine who you are as a person; the way that you experience the world around you and how you interact with it are what really lead to a fulfilling life. Monsieur Ibrahim always told Momo that he only knew what was in his Koran. He didn't mean the actual words that were written in the book, but the lessons that he's learned throughout his life. He was more referring to the dried flowers that Momo found when he opened up the Koran after Ibrahim's death; they symbolized that there's life even in death, as the memories that the flowers stand for still remain after the flowers are dead. Monsieur Ibrahim wanted Momo to become his own person. Not the person he thought he should be because of the society he grew up in - the "grown up" who sees the whores - but one who sees the small joys in life and understands himself. -- Holly Elliott

In Monsieur Ibrahim and the Flowers of the Koran I believe that the overall message is to live life without any boundaries, trusting in the confidence of what you know to be true. Mr. Ibrahim has gone through life knowing what is in his Koran. He has disregarded nay social constraints or ideas of how society believes he should act because he knows that his life is his to command. Moses begins stuck in his dismal life with a future that does not show significant promise. Moses tries to be what everyone wants him to be, piecing together what he thinks is what a man should be. When he meets Mr. Ibrahim, the transition to Momo allows him to begin to feel life as a journey to take where he is captain of his soul. By traveling to different regions he is able to see how people vary in different regions, and how little being an individual is actually frowned upon. Momo experiences a new found freedom with the assistance of Mr. Ibrahim. Together they defy the expected demonstrating that when one follows the flow of their heart, everything becomes an adventure, full of new discoveries or realizations to be made. --Addler Pluviose

I feel that the overall message that is portrayed in the book is that one should never obey by the standards of society, nor accept the intolerance that people have against different religions. The guidance in one’s life should be by lead by your heart and those things that attribute to your happiness. Moses couldn’t oversee the religious differences between him and Mr. Ibrahim from when he had assumed Ibrahim was an Arab. His justification for stealing from Ibrahim came from the knowledge that had garnered from society about how to view Arabs. Moses engaged in this mentality against Arabs yet barely understanding what purpose being Jewish had served. But with Ibrahim’s assistance Moses mentality transforms from a single minded boy to an open minded man, who takes upon the religion of Islam, for the sake of his own happiness, and not to follow Judaism because he was Jewish. Essentially “Momo” had learned to follow his heart into the things that make him content in life. - Joe pena (i didn't realize my post wasn't saved????)

Everyone brings up good messages for the book. Iagree that the biggest message is not to judge a book by it's cover. I agree the most with this message. Not just Mr. Ibrahim was judged because in reality even Momo was judged by his father. It is true that Mr. Ibrahim was judged as an Arab and becaue he was that people could steal or disrespect him because he was only an Arab. Momo was shown as being a bit of an outcast based off the first thing about him in the book is that he wanted to be a man and went to see the whores. The reasoning why he chose this is not. Did he want to be a man so his father would respect him or were the other reasons behind this? There is so little known about why he does what he does at first that the reader ca get the wrong idea about him. So the message about not judging is a good message since almost everyone is judged in some way without real proof behind that judgement. (Again I hope it posts this time)-Jamie