Channel 4 Programme Notes
Citizenship - Citizens of the World
You Looking At Me
Programme 1

Activities:

The aim of the programme is to help teachers provide pupils with a variety of learning opportunities to: Develop and use skills:

Synopsis:

The film explores the real-life experiences and cultures of a diverse cross-section of young people living in an interface area in Belfast. Kenny, a flautist in a loyalist band, Mei, the daughter of a Chinese restaurant owner, Ciaran, a young Catholic painter and his girlfriend Niamh are brought together by a series of events centered around plans for a cross-community carnival and the loss and eventual return of Kenny's traditional flute.

Plot
The story unfolds as Kenny and his mates treat themselves to a Chinese after a day out with their local Orange band. Inside the restaurant, racist stereotyping is quickly on the menu, much to Kenny's embarrassment, whilst outside, Ciaran is painting anti-band slogans. In the aftermath of a confrontation between the two groups, a bond quickly develops between Mei and Kenny and she accepts his phone number.

The flute becomes a point of contact between Mei, Kenny and Ciaran. It is also the focus of out-and-out violence between the Protestant and Catholic youths when Ciaran sets up an exchange between Kenny and his friend Martin who has taken the flute as a trophy.

The flute and the carnival create many opportunities for interactions between the characters who might otherwise never meet in this divided community. There are angry exchanges when Alec, a Protestant youth worker suggests that having an Orange band would be a good way to show Protestant culture at the carnival and Catholic committee members disagree. In the end, Niamh and Ciaran challenge their own prejudices and go to hear Kenny's band for themselves. The incident turns ugly when paramiltary gunmen arrive and they all narrowly escape with their lives. Kenny bravely refuses to leave Mei, Niamh and Ciaran to the gunmen and tragedy is averted when police arrive.

Ciaran recognises Kenny's bravery in sticking by them and he is determined that the carnival must go on. Kenny and Mei agree to help and join the committee. At the end of the film we see how both Kenny and Ciaran are better able to respect each other and their different cultures when the flute is returned and they shake hands. Kenny is delighted to get the flute back and Ciaran laughs, 'No problem'. Their exchange is an appropriate and symbolic resolution of the plot and its themes of identity and cultural expression.

Characters

Mei
Mei finds herself in the middle of two divided communities and at the centre of all the action. We see her struggling to assert her identity as a Belfast Chinese teenager in a variety of situations within her personal, family and school life. Her statement, 'Chinese don't get involved' adds extra depth to the themes of diversity and inclusion in the film. It also acts as a marker for the increased commitment she feels to finding her place as a young person in the community when, at the end of the film, she agrees to join the carnival committee.

Ciaran
Ciaran has good instincts but sometimes lacks understanding or courage to be guided by them. We see him easily influenced by Niamh, for good, and pressured by Martin into helping with a robbery. He is loving and funny and he also grows to be honest and wise. Events force him to challenge his prejudices, to develop his own values and to support Niamh at the end of the film. Handing back the flute to Kenny and wanting to come clean about his involvement in the robbery are clear signs of his growth and change.

Niamh
Many of the plot strands are connected and driven by Niamh's attempts to organise the cross-community carnival. Her character helps explore many of the political themes in the film. Her father is an ex-prisoner who supports the Peace Process. He wants change and he is involved with a Community Restorative Justice scheme that takes responsibility for sorting out the school robbery. Niamh is also directly affected by the robbery because she loses her exam coursework and in this way she indirectly helps Ciaran to take responsibility for his actions. After their ordeal with the gunmen, Niamh becomes very frightened and disillusioned with 'trying to change things', but with Ciaran's support she agrees to continue with the carnival plans.

Kenny
Our first impressions of Kenny himself are very positive. He is sensitive and embarrassed by his friends' racist taunts in the Chinese restaurant and he tries to challenge their behaviour. When the flute is taken from him, he tells Mei that he is in 'big trouble' as it belonged to his father and his grandfather before that. This is the start of their mutual attraction and understanding of each other. As Kenny comes into more contact with Niamh and Ciaran, Mei helps him to face up to some of his own prejudices and mistrust of Catholics. Throughout the film Kenny has conflicting feelings about his identity as a young Protestant. He is proud of his Protestant heritage but comes to realise the narrowness of his mother's relief that Mei is Chinese and not "a taig". Mei's wider experience of life beyond Ulster, and his interactions with Niamh and Ciaran, helps deepen Kenny's understanding about himself and his appreciation of other cultures.

Settings
The film is set in an interface area in inner city Belfast. Many of the harsh street locations bear the marks of cultural / political division and conflict that may seem unique only to Northern Ireland. However, the mean streets illustrate division at another level. In common with many other large cities, the landscapes of Belfast's residential, working-class areas are ugly and decayed in contrast to its glossy and bright commercial town centre. Severe outside environments, run-down school buildings and rubble-strewn alleyways all jar with the cosy and sympathetic interiors of people's homes. All of this hints at big social and political issues.



Curriculum Relevance:

The programme addresses a range of specific curriculum requirements for citizenship. It is also a topical and stimulating resource for English and Media Studies activities. Further details about these are included in the Activities section.

Citizenship: Key Stages 3 & 4

Curriculum provision of Education for Citizenship is statutory in England. It is anticipated that it will become statutory in Northern Ireland by 2005/2006. There is on-going work to build on existing practice within Community Learning in Scotland and within existing PSHE programmes in Wales. England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales all currently offer curricular provision in PSHE.

Links to themes in PSHE/Education for Citizenship

The following themes are broadly common areas across the various curricula:
The programme provides relevant stimulus material for pupils at Key stages 3 and 4 to explore and respond to these themes.

Links to Learning for Life and Work:

The programme can help meet the requirements for Module 1 (Local and Global Citizenship) of this NICCEA GCSE qualification. It provides relevant stimulus material for candidates to research and investigate:


Background Information:

Political context
Northern Ireland is emerging from more than 30 years of conflict or The Troubles. Over 3,000 citizens have died as a result of violence. On 10 April 1998, The Belfast / Good Friday Agreement was signed at Stormont Buildings in Belfast. This agreement allowed for the setting up of an Assembly for Northern Ireland to elect and be governed by its own politicians. This devolution replaced the system of direct rule from Westminster. The time since the signing of the agreement has become known as 'The Peace Process' but there is still disagreement as to whether or not the 'Peace Process' is working. Not all political parties supported the agreement and there have been many problems in putting all its requirements into practice, especially those regarding weapons disposal and changes to policing.

New Institutions
The Belfast / Good Friday Agreement also allowed for the setting up of other bodies, including The Equality Commission for Northern Ireland and The Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission. These statutory organisations were given specific tasks including creating proposals for Equality Legislation and a Bill of Rights for Northern Ireland. Both these initiatives were to help society in Northern Ireland rebuild and transform after its conflict.

Crime and Punishment
There have been important reviews of the Criminal and Justice system including proposals to change the ways in which young people who commit offences are treated. Instead of being prosecuted and sentenced, Youth Justice Conferencing is being trialled in parts of Northern Ireland. Young offenders are offered alternative ways of making up for a crime they have committed. It can involve attending a conference to hear about the effects of their crime, apologising to the victim, making payment for damage, carrying out community service, etc. All of these are based around ideas that are known as Restorative Justice. These ideas are found in the justice systems of many ancient civilisations including Native American Indians and the Aboriginal tribes of Australia.

Belfast and Interface areas
One of the consequences of The Troubles was the reduction of 'mixed communities'. Violence and intimidation meant that people of the same religion tended to feel safer living together. In Belfast and in other areas this resulted in very segregated housing where whole areas would be clearly seen as either Catholic or Protestant. Interfaces are where streets or areas of segregated housing meet. Violence often happens at interface areas.



Activities:

English Media Studies
PSHE Citizenship

English Study Activities

  1. In the film, Ciaran and Kenny change and grow as characters. Write about your personal response to either of them throughout the film. Use the following points to help plan and structure your answer:

    • First impressions of the character and how these are created
    • The relationships that are important to them
    • Their attitude towards difference
    • Important events that affect their development as characters

    Points to consider for Ciaran:

    • Is Ciaran's slogan about the flute an indication that he is sectarian? He seems more angry about his paint brushes being misused as opposed to Martin who wants to break his fingers
    • His loving relationship with Niamh and how this matures throughout the film
    • His comment that 'Prods don't have a culture' and his question to Mei about why she goes to a 'Prod school'
    • His attempt to set up an exchange for the flute between Kenny and Martin; his unease with the robbery at the school and making a clean breast of it to Niamh; how he helps and encourages Niamh after they have been threatened; giving back the flute.

    Suggestions to consider for Kenny:

    • His unease with his mates' behaviour in the restaurant
    • His developing love for Mei and their shared understanding about the importance of family traditions
    • His mistrust of Ciaran and Niamh and his stereotypical comments about 'Taigs' at various points in the film; Mei's Chinese background isn't an issue for him
    • Meeting Mei; the street fight with Martin and their rival gangs; the cross- community disco; defying the paramilitaries to stay with Mei, Niamh, Ciaran and Eugene.

  2. There are a range of different settings, interiors and exteriors, featured throughout the film. Discuss four settings (two interior, two exterior) that you have found memorable, making clear how they added to your enjoyment and understanding of the film. Use the following points to help start your ideas:

    • Interior settings (eg living rooms/kitchens, bedrooms, schools, clubs, etc.)
    • What do they tell us about people's lives and the things that are important to them?
    • What is similar/different about them in the different communities?
    • In what ways do interior scenes give a different impression of life in inner Belfast than the exterior scenes?

    Exterior settings (eg back alleys, street scenes, waste ground, downtown Belfast, the weather, etc.)

    • From the exterior settings, what overall impression does the film seem to give about life in inner city Belfast? In what ways is this different from the impression of life that is presented in the interior settings and in the closing scene of shopping downtown?
    • In what ways are murals, graffiti, flags, etc. important to the different settings?



    Click to go to the top of the page Media Studies Activities

    Pupil Activities

  1. This shot comes at the end of the sequence in Kenny's bedroom where he has been looking through the box of First World War souvenirs that belonged to his grandfather and trying on his grandfather's sash.

    Write a short explanation of what you think the director is suggesting about Kenny's thoughts and feelings about his identity/his sense of 'himself' at this point in the film? The following ideas may help prompt your thinking:

    • The sequencing of this scene immediately after the scene of Martin in his bedroom with his 'trophies'
    • The effects of the music on mood/atmosphere throughout the sequence
    • Close-up shots on the inscriptions on the medal and dog-tag
    • The deliberate resemblance between the photograph of the grandfather and Kenny
    • His body gestures and cues
    • The slowness of Kenny's actions in unfurling the sash
    • The contrast between the sash heirloom and his modern 'skater' trousers
    • His facial expression; his eye contact with the camera and then looking away

  2. Look again at the street fight scene, (24:50 - 26:58) or the scene in the community hall when Niamh, Ciaran and Eugene go to visit the band (starting at 54:51) and write a response the following question.

    Analyse the different techniques used throughout this scene to create dramatic interest. Include references to setting, lighting, music, positioning and movement of characters, camera angles and range, background noise and dialogue, how the scene finishes.


Click to go to the top of the page PSHE Activities

Group Discussion activity

Different kinds of relationships are explored in the film. For example:
  1. between parents and their children
  2. with peers
  3. between boyfriend and girfriend
  4. between husband and wife
Choose one of the above kinds of relationships to look at in detail. Pick out three scenes that you think are important to how the film explores relationships. Discuss what messages you think the film gives about issues such as love, trust, respect, differences of opinion and anything else that you think is relevant. Compare and contrast ideas with a group who have chosen to look at a different kind of relationship.

Pupil activity

Think about one character in the film that you like/admire very much. On a blank sheet of paper, brainstorm words that describe the qualities of this character that you like/admire. Pick one idea to share with one other person and say why this quality is important to you.



Click to go to the top of the page Citizenship Activities

Pupil activity

Prejudice and stereotyping : do I know what this means?

Note for Pupil

  1. Prejudice can be described as having negative attitudes about a person or a group without knowing much about that person or group
  2. Stereotyping is about using those feelings or attitudes to make judgements or express points of view about all members of a particular group
  3. Discrimination means acting (usually in a negative way) towards an individual or a group for reasons based on prejudice and/or stereotyping
Check out your understanding by matching the comments (some of them are from the film) to one of the boxes in the table below. Tick one of the three boxes to show your answer.

Fat Prejudice Stereotyping Discrimination
No other girl would say something like that. They just want to wind you up.      
I don't like men with tattoos.      
Old people never have anything good to say about young people.      
No Chinkys here!      
The Prods don't have a culture.      
All Fenians are cowards.      
You're all a pack of animals.      
Huns keep out!      


Answers to above exercise

Fat Prejudice Stereotyping Discrimination
No other girl would say something like that. They just want to wind you up.   Correct  
I don't like men with tattoos. Correct    
Old people never have anything good to say about young people.   Correct  
No Chinkys here!     Correct
The Prods don't have a culture.   Correct  
All Fenians are cowards.   Correct  
You're all a pack of animals.   Correct  
Huns keep out!     Correct


Whole-class exercise: Exploring the causes and consequences of Prejudice and Stereotyping

Note for Teacher

Tell pupils that they will be talking in more detail about the consequences of prejudice and stereotyping.

Examples of Stereotyping in the film:
  1. Divide the class into three groups and assign each group one of the following roles:

    • Members of Kenny's community
    • Members of Ciaran's community
    • Members of Mei's family / community

  2. In role, ask each group to talk about and record on one half of a flipchart sheet examples of stereotypical comments made about them as individuals or a group and on the other half of the sheet ask them to suggest reactions, feelings that these comments might have provoked in their 'community'

    • After an agreed amount of time ask the groups to fold their sheets in half, leaving only the examples of the stereotypical comments on display
    • Ask each group to move to another 'community's' flipchart sheet and to read and then talk about its recordings
    • Repeat the process again so that each group has had a chance to read the comments of the other two groups
    • Take feedback of all the examples and begin to group the comments under broad headings eg physical appearance; offensive language / name calling; inaccurate / unfair beliefs, attitudes, etc.
    • Now ask each group in turn to feed back their ideas about their role group's reactions and feelings. Encourage pupils to see and talk about the similarities in each group's response to the examples of stereotyping eg annoyance or anger; feeling disrespected; feeling not part of (excluded from) the community, etc. Feed in appropriate language (sectarianism; racism) in relation to comments that make generalisations about cultural, religious or political groups

    Conclusion

    Possible response to prejudice and stereotyping:

    1. Ask pupils to brainstorm examples of how characters in the film tried to challenge or change their own or others' stereotyping behaviours. Encourage responses to their identification with characters' likes/dislikes; things they admired or didn't about characters' actions and attitudes in the course of the film
    2. In pairs and then in larger groups ask pupils to come up with suggestions about how they as individuals and as a class could respond positively to stereotyping. NB Emphasise the importance of acting within the realms of appropriateness and personal safety



    Links:

    The following sites may be of interest for further study / activites related to the film.

    This web page contains links to other websites that are neither controlled nor maintained by Channel 4 Television. Channel 4 Television is not responsible for the content of these sites and does not necessarily endorse the material on them.

    http://cain.ulst.ac.uk
    This site offers a history of the key issues and events of The Troubles.

    www.bbc.co.uk/northernireland/eyewitness
    This site looks at recent / current events in Northern Ireland. There are interactive activities relating to many of the issues covered in the film.

    http://www.realjustice.org
    This site gives a history of the development and range of restorative justice systems in a variety of contexts.



    Credits:

    Credits for this series are not currently available.