The Armenian Genocide

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THE MAKING OF THE MAHATMA


Journalist and newsreader Mishal Husain (Pakistani origin) journeys through Mahatma Gandhi early years in India to the end of his controversial career in South Africa. This program is telecasted in BBC around Gandhi Jayanthi year 2009. It's one of the best and reasonable effort to find flaws in Gandhi.

I've Never Seen the Israel / Palestine Conflict Illustrated More Uniquely Than This

I've Never Seen the Israel / Palestine Conflict Illustrated More Uniquely Than This

A Passage to India guide

A Passage to India

Based on a novel by:

Date of release:

Director:

Some information about the director:

Which scenes deal with the following issues?

1.       Social injustice

2.       The British as an invader

3.       Sexual repression

4.       Cultural gaps

5.       Reconciliation

6.       Identity

7.    Submission

Adela wanted to see “the real India”. What does she refer to? When does she finally find it?

Where does the accusation against Aziz come from? Adela or the British group?

The British India, the Media

Over the years, a large number of films have been produced which are set in India- “Gandhi” ”Heat &Dust”, “The Jewel In The Crown”, “Staying On”, “The Far Pavilions” (the last three shown on TV.). 

Of these, only the first was not an adaptation from a novel.

 Why is it that India should so fascinate novelists and filmmakers? Possible reasons could be the country itself, or the culture, or a reassessment of the British role in India.

One question which recurs again and again about E.M. Forster’s “A Passage to India” is whether it is a political novel. How does it portray the relationship between the British and the Indians?

 How does it show the differences between Hindu and Moslem, differences which, when India was finally  granted independence, caused bitter rifts within the country.

One further question to ask is whether the film highlights the political aspects. Try to list any incidents in the film where you think that there is an overt reference to politics. Do the same with the novel.

Has the stress been altered between the two?

Following on from this you could consider whether Forster was actually interested in the politics of India or whether his concerns lay elsewhere. Public or private; which of the two Anglo-Indian relationships do you think interested him most, or are the two indivisible? Also important is where  Forster’s sympathies lie. Are they with Aziz, Adela? Are the English portrayed in a bad light? How does Fielding fit in, both to the plot and the overall ideas of the novel?

(adapted from www.filmeducation.org)

The diaries of nearly 4,000 World War One soldiers are now online

CAUSES OF WORLD WAR I

Post modernism and contemporary literature

"All Quiet on the Western Front"

The film "All Quiet on the Western Front" is a classic Hollywood adaptation of Erich Remarque's novel. It takes a hard look at the tragedy of war using World War I as its backdrop. Before you watch the film find out: 1. When was the film released? 2. Who is the director? 3. What novelwas it based on? Find information about the author. 4. Is this the first version of the film? As you watch the film, please answer the following questions.

1. What is the title of this film? When was it made? Who wrote the original novel?

2. Why did the students join the Army?

3. What role did the mailman (Himmelstoess) have? Was he particularly mean to these recruits? Give an example.

4. How were conditions at the Western Front different from their expectations in training camp?

5. What was the impact of the shelling on the new recruits?

6. What happened after the bombardment?

7. In the attack, what did the machine gun do to the glory of war and individual heroism?

8. How many of the company died in this first battle? How do you know? Why were they able to eat so well finally?

9. Who did they blame for this war? Who did they omit in their list of potential villains?

10. What happened to Kemmerich's boots? How did the doctors' react to Kemmerich's plight?

11. How was Sgt. Himmelstoess received when he arrived at the front?

12. What was the pattern of a battle? What preceded the attack? What followed it?

13. What happened to Paul Baumer when he found himself in a shellhole in No Man's Land with the French soldier?

14. Why did the French girls - ostensibly the enemy - accept the German soldiers?

15. After four years of war, how has the German homefront been affected? Were there still the parades, crowded streets, and joyous sounds of going off to war?

16. What were the attitudes of the men in the beer hall? Were they willing to listen to what Paul had to say?

17. How does Paul Baumer confront his former teacher? How do the young students react to his vision of the war?

18. How has the company changed during Paul's absence?

19. What is ironic about Kat's and Paul's deaths? [Note: The war ended on November 11, 1918.]

20. Describe the attitude of this movie towards World War I and all wars.