The short film "Missing Her" uses various techniques to explore how an individual's need to belong can be impacted by barriers like disconnection and rejection. It depicts the story of a boy who was recently adopted from Thailand by an Australian couple. Through the use of subtitles, camera shots, lighting, music and motifs like stars and binoculars, the film shows the language barrier and lack of connection between the boy and his new mother. These techniques highlight the boy's longing to reconnect with his deceased biological mother and his struggle to find acceptance in his new family. By skillfully employing filmic devices, "Missing Her" provides insight into how rejection can both intensify one's desire to belong and create disconnection from others and a
Original Description:
Based on the 2011 Tropfest Finalist film, this is a 20/20 essay which explores how an individual’s wanting or needing to belong can be heightened by the task of overcoming barriers such as disconnection and rejection. Suitable for Year 11 Area of Study, English Standard or Advanced.
The short film "Missing Her" uses various techniques to explore how an individual's need to belong can be impacted by barriers like disconnection and rejection. It depicts the story of a boy who was recently adopted from Thailand by an Australian couple. Through the use of subtitles, camera shots, lighting, music and motifs like stars and binoculars, the film shows the language barrier and lack of connection between the boy and his new mother. These techniques highlight the boy's longing to reconnect with his deceased biological mother and his struggle to find acceptance in his new family. By skillfully employing filmic devices, "Missing Her" provides insight into how rejection can both intensify one's desire to belong and create disconnection from others and a
The short film "Missing Her" uses various techniques to explore how an individual's need to belong can be impacted by barriers like disconnection and rejection. It depicts the story of a boy who was recently adopted from Thailand by an Australian couple. Through the use of subtitles, camera shots, lighting, music and motifs like stars and binoculars, the film shows the language barrier and lack of connection between the boy and his new mother. These techniques highlight the boy's longing to reconnect with his deceased biological mother and his struggle to find acceptance in his new family. By skillfully employing filmic devices, "Missing Her" provides insight into how rejection can both intensify one's desire to belong and create disconnection from others and a
understanding of an individuals wanting or needing to belong? In
your answer you must refer to the film and techniques used to shape meaning. Experiencing a strong sense of belonging is a fundamental human need that can only be filled when one truly feels accepted as they are. However, when the group does not recognize an individuals perspective, disconnection occurs as a result of rejection and alienation. The 2011 Tropfest Finalist, Missing Her, explores the themes of rejection and craving to belong using a range of film techniques including subtitles, mise en scene, music and sound effects, and motifs. The short film portrays how an individuals wanting or needing to belong can be heightened by the task of overcoming barriers such as disconnection and rejection. While barriers to belonging prevent individuals fulfilling their need to belong, these barriers also serve to heighten the individuals want to belong through finding acceptance. The disconnection between the Australian couple and the boy, Henry, is evident in this short film due to the deliberate film techniques put in place by director Michael Weisler. The use of subtitles embellishes the language barrier between Henry and his new parents. Furthermore, the absence of verbal communication makes it extremely difficult to establish a relationship or any sort of trust, which is vital in promoting family acceptance. The subtitles allow the audience to understand Henrys obsession with the stars, further enhancing the detachment from the parents and therefore the unfulfilled nature of his need to belong. Individuals may struggle to belong to their own family as a result of rejection, which can dramatically impact on the individuals need to belong and seek acceptance. The intelligent selection of mise en scene very much enhances the craving the mother feels for a sense of familial belonging. The director uses close up frames to portray emotion, in particular to magnify the mothers feeble attempts to establish a relationship with her newly adopted son, creating an emotional connection between the audience and the characters, and prompting evaluation in the audience on their own wants/needs to belong. The disconnection between Henry and his new mother is enhanced by never showing the two characters in the same frame, only one of the two is ever clearly visible. Furthermore, the low-key lighting used in majority of the film contrasts any bright lights, which the director has deliberately done to ensure the stars- representative of the dead mother- stand out. The adoptive mother is usually
presented in the dark, and the only times she is presented in a
frame by herself, it is to demonstrate her reaction to rejection. The concept of belonging consists of both acceptance and rejection, which can respectively fulfill or negate an individuals want to belong. The directors use of music and sound effects develops the idea of rejection and acceptance from both the mother and the boy and the differing effects this has on their experience of belonging or disconnection. For example, in the opening scene, the tranquil sounds of crashing waves suggest the boy is at peace in his homeland and feels a sense of belonging as a result of such a connection. This idea is supported by the non- diegetic use of peaceful meditation music which slowly fades into silence during the next scene when the boy is in the car with his newly adopted parents. Moreover, the digetic use of loud, unfamiliar sounds of traffic and English voices conveys the boys lack of belonging and dissociation from the new city environment. Additionally, the awkward silence between Henry and his mother magnifies his refusal to look at her or accept her help. The mother is distressed by his rejection, and the minor music creates empathy in the audience. Ultimately, the mothers craving for acceptance is rejected by the boy, reinforcing the idea that not belonging is a direct consequence of disconnection. Only the individual can determine whether he or she will belong, and sometimes this will require change in order to find acceptance. The director creates a sense of disconnection and wanting to belong by the use the binoculars and the stars as motifs. The young, presumably orphaned boy has no interest in belonging to his new family. In the opening shot where he is placed alone in rural Thailand, and then again when he arrives in Australia, he seems to be preoccupied by looking through a set of binoculars at the stars. These binoculars represent a medium in which the boy can become closer to his mother who told him shed be watching him from the stars. This motif is ended when the boy mistakenly rests them on the streets of Melbourne, and a passing car crushes them. This represents the connection between him his mother being broken. The final appearance of the stars motif is revealed to the audience in the last shot, in the form of glow in the dark childrens stars, only revealed once the boy has fallen asleep. The connection between mother and son will never falter, but this final motif creates hope in the audience that he may be able to finally accept his new family and therefore experience a strong sense of belonging. The concept of belonging is closely linked with acceptance. If the individual does not accept the group, or vise versa, a sense of
belonging can not be established. This notion is brilliantly
executed in the short film Missing Her due to a range of film techniques. Therefore, the core human need to belong is only fulfilled by acceptance. While disconnection and lack of acceptance poses as a barrier to belonging, it also serves to heighten an individuals want to belong, consequently prompting change in order to find acceptance. Thus, it is through the construction of the short film, Missing Her, that the director is able to effectively deepen our understanding of the influences of acceptance and rejection on an individuals wanting or needing to belong, evoking a personal response to the film. WC: 992