The Butterfly Circus - Directed by Joshua Weigel

The Butterfly Circus - directed by Joshua Weigel

Cheri Natale – ENG 3051

Alyson van Beinum

http://vimeo.com/17150524 Complete short

http://vimeo.com/17474072 2 minute teaser

“If you could only see the beauty that can come from ashes”

Butterfly Circus is a 20 minute dramatic short film which is a testament to the power of hope and faith in oneself. It is a wonderful reflection of the themes of good and evil, man vs. man, man vs. himself and hope conquers all. It can be viewed as a religious film but need not be. If you believe in yourself, you will be saved.

Synopsis

During the Great Depression, the Showman of a renowned circus starring those with unique abilities, rather than those with oddities, takes his troupe on the road. The barren American landscape reflects the loss of soul. The extreme poverty is filmed with a surreal lens. The Butterfly Circus troupe entertain people and bring joy to them along the way. They meet Will (Nick Vujicic), a limbless man, who is the star “attraction” at a carnival. Will stows away in their truck and joins the Butterfly Circus however as a bystander. Will, as many others in the circus, must overcome his lack of self-worth and triumph through hope and faith. He, in truth, is a caterpillar who must inwardly transform in order to prove his worthiness and join a circus of those who believe in themselves. His metamorphoses is complete when he triumphs over his struggle for self-worth and indeed becomes a valued person in the group. In the end a disabled boy hugs Will for teaching him he, too, can overcome his physical disability.

A) In what grade level/course would you teach this text? Are there other courses for which it might also be appropriate?

I would teach this film in both English and Religion classes. I believe it is appropriate for Grades 9 through 12 although the discussion and depth of understanding will be quite different. The Grade 9’s may take this film at face value and need some initial prodding as to the themes and symbolism. The Grade 12’s should understand the primary theme of transformation and the minor themes of faith, hope and resurrection. The themes are definitely universal and all students should be able to identify with Will’s struggle or those of others in the circus. It is a film which can be used in many contexts however as a piece of moving “literature” it is a beautiful use of symbolism. This short could be used in the Grade 9 through 12 Media Studies in the English curriculum and in Religion Grade 10 Christ and Culture as well as the Grade 12 Ethics and Morality course.

It is not a dialogue heavy film therefore the lighting, music and movement would appeal to those who are Differentiated Learners as well as ELL learners. It truly is a beautifully shot piece and one need only understand the emotion of the story. It is a great parable in itself and can be used in discussions concerning ethics, social justice and discrimination.

B) What are the main ideas/issues/teaching points which you would emphasize when teaching the text? Social, topic, cultural, textual.

Social

There are various societal ideas and issues as teachable moments in this film. I have mentioned social justice and discrimination. Societal norms and values can be discussed through the differences between the two types of circus –one promotes those people who are marginalized, not accepted by society. The other circus promotes the uniqueness in people who have overcome great trials. A prostitute with a child, a man who lives to fight and an elderly man with no purpose in life all became great additions to the Butterfly Circus. The film teaches how social norms must be examined and respect must be paramount. It teaches the students to be introspective and to question society as they know it- “You are magnificent”- the Showman tells Will upon their first meeting. Is that the norm? Not likely.In another scene a black man and his son summon the courage to speak to the Strong Man. He is very kind to them and they ask if Will is in the circus as well. Rather than raise the issue of racism the film makers have chosen to use Will as a symbol of those who may not fit in – those who do not feel they have a purpose in life. Racism is a non issue when people respect themselves and others.

Topic

The topic of those marginalized can be discussed within the context of current society. Will believes he is the man “even God has turned his back on“ in his physical limitations. While touring with the Butterfly Circus Will realizes he can overcome his physical disabilities and swim – it is through this baptism by water, the very act of swimming, he is reborn and realizes his potential. The caterpillar becomes a butterfly.

Cultural

The culture of American society during the Great Depression can be examined. The hopelessness and loss of innocence is an excellent teaching opportunity to discuss what exactly defines a person. How would the students handle the loss of their money, jobs and their homes? The culture of those marginalized and important societal norms within the can also be examined. Are disabled people more respected in certain societies? Does Will consider himself disabled by the end of the film? The culture of the group vs the individual, man vs. society as larger issues can also be developed as topics along with the theme of hope and rebirth . Do most teenagers feels there is hope in the world?

Textual

We can examine the text ie. the language of the film . There are wonderful quotes not the least of which are:

“The greater the struggle, the more glorious the triumph.”

“Boy- you can do whatever you want”

“What this world needs is a little wonder”

“They are filled with strength, colour and grace”.

It is interesting the Showman has a Spanish accent , Will is Australian , the others surely American and no mention is made of accent, nationality, race or religion. It is this Everyman aspect which gives the film a universal beauty. It can appeal to all especially those who may not consider themselves mainstream. The use of language is deliberate – symbolism of hope and rebirth, redemption, examples of personal struggle and courage all adept at conveying the message.
C) What are the issues/challenges you might encounter in teaching the text?

The only challenge I would be concerned about is if there is a disabled person in the class. I would be worried it may be upsetting for them. However, the film is so uplifting and such a testament to personal power I would hope it would be welcomed .

D)Describe one possible assignment /activity which you could use when teaching the text. How does it connect to the curriculum expectations?

In 11 University level English the Media Studies area of the curriculum has an Overall Expectation of Understanding Media Texts. Within this is the specific expectation of Critical Literacy which is to identify the perspectives and/or biases evident in media texts. The expectation deals with questions about beliefs, values, identity and power. An excellent assignment would be to have the students show the short to people they know with different perspectives. Choose three people to show this to and state why, what were their reactions and what was the most important message they received from the film? They could choose a parent, a sibling, a grandparent, a disabled person, a peer etc. This assignment would give them an idea of perspective and frame of reference. Everyone will see something different in this film. Everyone will be touched in a different way – or not at all. A report would be written and submitted as a factual report rather than an essay.

The conclusion could contain what the student thought of the film and the most important message they received from it. It could be a good critical piece containing many different opinions. In terms of Differentiated Instruction we could ask the student to write down the best moments of the story and what they mean to them personally. This would not be as difficult as a critique however would still fulfill the expectations. ELL learners could do the same or if great difficulty with language they could deliver this as a narrative to the teacher. The themes are universal enough they should cross any boundaries and appeal to hope for all. I am certain the 10 million people who have watched this worldwide would agree.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gbEKUeMnibw&feature=related About Nick Vujicoc