Friday, 30 January 2009

We are family

It is a journey of acclimatization and discovery for the ten children as their experiences at the village vary a lot from the ones they have back home. To start with, the challenge the children had to face was to understand the local accent. The next two hurdles that the children had to cross were the differences in the living environment and food. Due to the cold weather conditions and space constraint, the children had to get used to the fact that everyday activities such as sleeping and dining revolve around a 炕 (atraditional concrete heater which resembles a cement bed). Homemade buns and noodles, which is a simple fare to the children but is a delicacy to the hosts, formed their staple. Fortunately, the children easily adapted to the locals and their way of life.
The children never failed to be amazed by a host of first encounters such as having lessons in the local school, helping in the harvesting of carrots, rounding up of a herd of goats, rides on a mule and the releasing of 孔明灯。
Without high tech devices, they also learnt to be contented with just playing simple games using the things around them to pass time.

Though not having much, the hosts made the best out of what they have to provide for their guests. The earnestness in which hospitality was extended to their guests is also touching. It is unforgettable to see how a host’s mother washed the feet and cleaned her little guest up as if he were her own. The theme of parent-child relationship is also explored in this documentary as we catch a glimpse of the differences in parenting styles in the two cultures.

During the stay, the children formed bonds with their hosts. When it was time to bid farewell, there was much sadness and reluctance. However, as the theme song of the 2008 Beijing Olympics, ‘You and Me’ , which is also used as the ending song in the movie echoes the sentiments of the children, ‘ …you and me, from one world, we are family…’ Though apart, the children have a deep affinity with one another because of their unforgettable shared experiences.

Synopsis


Nanyang Primary School is proud to present our own documentary movie ----- ‘You and Me’. This 86-minute documentary features ten of our Primary Three to Five pupils of varying abilities and personalities from various backgrounds going through a life-changing experience on a eight-day immersion programme in a remote part of China,高家沟.

Wednesday, 28 January 2009

后续


这部影片没有完整的故事线、没有靓丽的明星、没有规范的台词,影片中的情节谈不上惊喜,如果这部影片会成功,应该是孩子们的童真撑起了整部影片。八天的“感受生命之旅”成就了一段珍贵的国际友谊,《我和你》让人无法停止对生命的思考……回国后,这十个小朋友又得面对繁重的功课压力,这段跨国界的友情会不会继续?该如何继续呢?
后续@http://www.mtime.com/my/1006447/blog/1569700/

八天的耐力挑战



8月25日清晨,我们在机场集合。我们带着的行李远远超出我们的负荷能力。从厚重的衣服、洗刷用品到食物干粮等,只要挤得进,家长就尽量让我们带着。可见,“独立”不仅对我们而言是一种新鲜的转换,对爸爸妈妈而言更是一种信心与勇气的考验。
出发了!我们乘搭新航班机直飞北京,然后从北京机场坐大客车北上,到了康保县已经是晚上九点钟。
“没电了!”说话的大爷带有浓重的河北省地方口音,是康保县饭店的负责人,他已经给我们的每个房间准备了蜡烛。这一夜,我们就在“浪漫”的气氛中度过了。在冷嗖嗖的黑夜里,我们参与体验生活的意志力,竟然丝毫未减,临睡还兴奋地猜想着高家沟的生活情景。
翌晨,在低温十度左右的寒冷天气中,我们先坐大客车,到接近满德堂乡高家沟村时,乘坐由村民牵的驴车到村里。当我们一行人坐着驴车来到村口时,受到数十名村民的热烈欢迎。一场简单而亲切的欢迎仪式后,我们分为5组,分别入住5户农家。

这个时候,正值秋收季节,我们到庄稼地,向当地的农民学习挖土豆、捡红豆、拔萝卜、拾麦穗、我们也学习搓莜面、用驴粪烧火、给炉灶拉风、喂猪赶羊……这些农家活,我们的孩子都没接触过,所以感到很兴奋。
在农村生活,莜面和土豆是我们的主食。农家食物材料种类少,据农民说他们却能用莜麦做上十几种的莜面花样:面条、花卷、莜面窝窝、莫察察等,他们可真有创意啊!这些食物都很新鲜,加上我们都是坐在炕头上吃,感觉太棒了!村里的炕头都是土炕头,做饭烧水都要用大铁锅,通过土炕送出烟和火,所以炕头就热乎乎的,遇到冷天气,睡在炕头上最舒服了。
每天晚饭后,老师都会召集所有的小朋友到村支部一起谈感受。一提起这里的蓝天、星空、白云、大草原,大家都会异口同声地说:“简直太美了!”的确,除了风景,空气也特别清新。老师原本担心我们吃不惯粗粮,没想到我们很快便适应下来,还赞农家饭真香!最困扰的,莫过于卫生设施,在农村是没有有厕所的,“草原有多大,厕所就有多大。”这句话用在这里再贴切不过了。
平时在学校,老师常常提醒我们要珍惜食物,要饮水思源,可我们就是不听。现在换个方式,让我们走进物质条件相对不足的农村中切身感受,结果我们被高家沟浓浓的生命气息感动了。这几天,无论洗刷或饮用,我们和村民都只靠一口井水,“饮水思源”的道理不言而喻,我们都深深地体会到了,即使这八天来没水洗澡,谁也不抱怨了。
这里,老师把“独立”的机会交给我们,让我们做自己的主人,因为老师相信我们做得到。在农村,放风筝是最棒的玩意儿。风筝在蓝天里翱翔,笑声随之在草原上荡漾,我们的心房就在不知不觉中打开,自信心展露无余。 有时候,我们也喜欢跑到远远的山头高呼,然后听听从远处传来的回音。在孩子们拖着行李下驴车的那一刻开始,我们这群在都市长大的小朋友,从被动式地和当地的小朋友、叔叔、阿姨、大爷和大娘们交往,变成热情的互动,尽管间中爆发了数次小冲突,也因挫折、想家而哭泣,但在欢送会上,大家都分享了内心最深处的感动。我们相互依依不舍,并互留资料,期待下次相见。
这份感情是两地小朋友难以忘怀的初始热诚:“我和你,心连心,同住地球村;为梦想,千里行,相会在北京……”这首奥运会的主题歌,将永远是我们的心情写照。

前言


纪实片《我和你》记录的是我们的故事。
我们是新加坡的小朋友?我们是中国的小朋友?不!我们是亚洲的小朋友?不不不!我们都是地球村的小朋友!
2008年8月25日,刘妙莲老师、苏小梅老师和林福来老师,带领我们到中国河北省康保县的坝上高原,一个接近内蒙自治区的的高原,在那里度过了八天简朴的农村生活。那几天,我们犹如到了另一个世界,经历另一种生活方式的洗礼。回国后,每当提起高家沟村,我们都洋溢着一种不可遏止的激情。
这种另类的浸濡方式是我校的创举,我们荣幸地获得上海华映电影有限公司协助我们策划,并以最新的高清摄像机全程跟踪录像,制作了一部长达八十六分钟的电影纪录片,片名为《我和你》。

简介

制片:刘滢
导演:魏阿挺
策划:刘妙莲
摄影:魏阿挺 孙悦凌

随着飞机和网络的发明,世界各国的距离缩小了,人与人的距离是不是也因此拉近了呢?《我和你》呈现两组不同国度、不同文化背景、价值观的小朋友在交往过程中的感情起落,许多在大人眼里似乎毫无意义的小事,却在影片中形成一个又一个的鲜明影像。八天的交流,有躊躇停滯,有摩擦冲突、但最終大家都相擁歡笑……