I promised myself the next post would be full of cycling adventures and exciting photos but alas I haven't had time for any such folly! However I must wonder how interesting others might find my photos of a chair and a lump of play dough!
I did finally get to watch the video we borrowed last week though. It was a great New Zealand film called Her Majesty. Set around the Queen of England's visit to New Zealand in 1953. The story centred on the relationship between a young girl named Elizabeth (Sally Andrews) and a elderly Maori woman Hira Mata (Vicky Haughton) living in a town that has all but forgotten it's shameful past. The old woman appeared to be one of the last remaining descendants of a great chief who had fought the colonists and won the admiration of their Monarch many years ago. This was an excelent film! The style was kind of like a children's movie with occasional comical child's eye views of looming adults with exaggerated features, but didn't cross the line into becoming a children's film.
Although there were several very sentimental moments in the film it held credibility for me and I think the symbology was appropriate. I am sure many of the issues expressed in the film are just as appropriate today. There was an interesting scene where Hira Mata explains the notches on her walking stick and the aural tradition of recounting genealogy, the loss of tradition and the importance of passing on and sharing traditional knowledge and culture with the next generation.
I think the film expressed the importance of intergenerational relationships. It is so important for there to be a link between elders and young people. If these relationships are not nurtured and encouraged I think we will loose a very important link in our humanity that has already shown disastrous effects in the lives of young people and has lead to our elders becoming alone and forgotten.
New Zealand is the theme of the day for me at the moment. I have also just begun reading a book about the Maori / New Zealand wars.
I did finally get to watch the video we borrowed last week though. It was a great New Zealand film called Her Majesty. Set around the Queen of England's visit to New Zealand in 1953. The story centred on the relationship between a young girl named Elizabeth (Sally Andrews) and a elderly Maori woman Hira Mata (Vicky Haughton) living in a town that has all but forgotten it's shameful past. The old woman appeared to be one of the last remaining descendants of a great chief who had fought the colonists and won the admiration of their Monarch many years ago. This was an excelent film! The style was kind of like a children's movie with occasional comical child's eye views of looming adults with exaggerated features, but didn't cross the line into becoming a children's film.
Although there were several very sentimental moments in the film it held credibility for me and I think the symbology was appropriate. I am sure many of the issues expressed in the film are just as appropriate today. There was an interesting scene where Hira Mata explains the notches on her walking stick and the aural tradition of recounting genealogy, the loss of tradition and the importance of passing on and sharing traditional knowledge and culture with the next generation.
I think the film expressed the importance of intergenerational relationships. It is so important for there to be a link between elders and young people. If these relationships are not nurtured and encouraged I think we will loose a very important link in our humanity that has already shown disastrous effects in the lives of young people and has lead to our elders becoming alone and forgotten.
New Zealand is the theme of the day for me at the moment. I have also just begun reading a book about the Maori / New Zealand wars.
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