ALL THAT WE SHARE

FIRST VIEWING

1. Which of the 5 cartoons we studied together does that video make you think of? Why?
Cartoon D because it is a video that emphasizes the fact that people can put labels on each
other and find themselves in boxes / be pigeonholed and that keeps people apart. It even
casts some people out. And people do that even though in the end they find out they might
have more in common than what they think.
2. Which language devices does the speaker use to stress the gaps between people? Is it
efficient? Why?
The speaker changes personal pronouns. He starts using US and THEM. He also uses US/WE
to stress the disparities. Also, he uses THE / THOSE WHO to point out the different
categories of the population represented here and the fact that they don’t mix.
Then in the second part of the video the US and THEM becomes ALL of US and WE. WE is
repeated several times as if to stress that those seemingly very different categories actually
have things in common. It is quite efficient because it really highlights what needs to be
highlighted, namely that differences are sometimes just a question of point of view and
that people can / should focus on what they have in common.
SECOND VIEWING

3. Describe the evolution in the way people in the video look at each other
At first people look at each other with a lot of wariness/distrust
Each group has a distinctive look and seems very different to/from the others SO
They are cautious and some of them glance at the other groups with an air of suspicion
In some groups, a few individuals don’t even look at others, most likely fearing the
judgment of others on them (the tattooed bikers for instance)
Then when the host starts asking questions, a few members of each category join the
others and start smiling or laughing because the 1st ones to have been called are the class
clowns which urges young and old people urban and country people alike to step out of
their box and mix.
And each new group is a blend of very different people (young old natives immigrants
traditional unconventional) so they stand next to each other without passing judgement
and smile at each other; the look of distrust has gone
There are moments of shared emotions (shame for the bullies / but also gestures of
sympathy and understanding (kid))
Acknowledgment of the young bisexual man’s courage (he is alone) : maybe a sign of
acceptance
At the end they all hug/embrace or shake each other’s hands, looking at each other in the
eye because the fear of the unknown has evaporated
They seem to understand that there’s something that connects them beyond their
differences: the love of their country Denmark and their acceptance of others

4. ‘you can’t judge a book by its cover’. How does this video illustrate that saying?
Appearances can be quite deceiving. People tend to have a lot of prejudices about others
and as a result tend to segregate certain categories of the population. Young people
sometimes feel they don’t have much in common with older people. Native inhabitants are
wary of immigrants. They are so many labels that cause people to feel different from one
another but if you go beyond those appearances, you sometimes realize/become aware of
the things you share with others against all odds: feelings (loneliness / being madly in
love/broken hearted/shame) and experiences (seeing UFOs/ Sex!) that are the stuff of
human lives.

5. This video is an advert/commercial for a TV channel. Do you think it’s appropriate?

Justify your answer.
This is an interesting ad, which might suggest that this TV channel means to focus more on
the positive than on the negative. Their treatment of news and vision of the world may be
more open and sympathetic than that of other channels. I, for one, would be interested in
watching this channel to see if they really manage to keep that positive, inclusive outlook in
each of their program.