Task 1

Britz - Sohail’s Story Part 1


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vzTGicd7slI&oref=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fresults%3Fsearch_query%3Dbritz%26oq%3Dbritz%26aq%3Df%26aqi%3Dg4%26aql%3D%26gs_sm%3De%26gs_upl%3D2904l3339l0l3458l5l4l0l1l1l0l158l308l0.2l2l0&has_verified=1


In this scene of the Britz (36 minutes) the audience is being shown Sohail’s background and where he is originally from, Bradford. This scene is during the first part of the two part drama during Sohail’s story. Sohail is an young Muslim British student ambitious and university educated student. He desire to assimilate into every aspect of contemporary British culture sees him driven into the open arms of MI5 where his first assignment is to help track down a terrorist cell linked to the July 7th London bombers.


In this scene the enquiry leads him back to his own community in Bradford where no one, not even his closest friends is above suspicion. Throughout the scene the audience sees Sohail facing trouble trying to balance his work around his closest friend and trying not to arise suspicion. Throughout the whole scene we see the camera movement fixed on Sohail which connotes to the audience his emotions. The use of camera movement directs the audience’s attention. The camera movement is fixed upon Sohail as we see his every move leading him up to following his best friend. The audience see a range of mid-shots showing Sohail’s wrestling uniform which contrasts to how Sohail dresses in uniform when he is back in London working for the MI5. On the uniform arm there is the Union Jack flag printed and the words ‘Great Britain’ which shows he character and his nobility for the country which stays with him throughout the drama as Sohail is forced to question where his loyalties really lie, with the Pakistani community or with the country of his birth, England. The medium shots of the protagonist show him fighting against a white character, Muslim vs white foreshadows and connotes to the audience that something is bad is going to happen soon between the two races.


The scene moves to Sohail keeping his eyes on his close friend which he goes on to follow. The drama uses a range of shot – reverse –shots to show Sohails emotion while he is talking to his close friend. It also shows the conversation going on between the two friends and how it is affecting Sohail. As his close friend goes off to see two other Muslims guys it arises questions and trouble for Sohail. Sohail watches the three guys and tries to examine what they are saying. The scene is accompanied by diegetic sound which connotes that something sinister may be going on. Also the diegetic sound creates suspension as the audience and Sohail cannot hear what the three characters are talking about. However as the audience see Sohail’s reaction to this it connotes trouble and questions if his close friend has anything to do with terrorists.


The scene moves into the night which shows that something sinister and bad is about to happen. The dark red colour from the car lights and the diegetic sound of the car sirens connotes that trouble and danger is laying ahead for Sohail and his friends. As the gang of friends are arrested and locked up, the stereotypes of Muslims are portrayed. The Muslim characters are shown to be the ‘other’ in the scene and the white police officers are represented to be the superior race with the power within them. As Sohail is punched into his stomach and lowered down to the floor it connotes the white character is of higher status than he is. The Muslim character is then called a “paki –fuck” which connotes the racial trouble between the characters. It also portrayed issues and debates of post 9/11 and 7/7 of how the Muslim community is being treated and how Islamophobia is becoming a natural process in the media.

Britz - Nasima’s Story Part 2

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AjK8Hr8VGJw&oref=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fresults%3Fsearch_query%3Dbrizt&has_verified=1


Part two of the drama follows the story of Nasima. Unlike her brother, Nasima is a medical student studying in Leeds and becomes deeply suspicious of the British estabailshement and spends much of her time campaigning against repressive government policies. The turning point is when her best friend kills herself after being abused while under arrest for innocently falling foul of the new anti-terror laws. The audience sees Nasima not only forced to question her liberal views, but he is left feeling angry at and estranged from the country of her birth.


In this scene the audience sees Nasima questioning her liberal believes in which Britain has given her the right to have. In this scene the audience sees the medical student challenging her religion and seeing the affects that are placed upon her. The camera movement follows the medical student in her steps and focuses on her and those affecting her. In the first 5 minutes of the scene the camera is fixed upon a shot reverse shot of the speaker speaking to the audience and Nasima. This connotes to the audience her response to what the male character is saying. Her sitting down while he is standing up shows that males are a superior race against women. As Nasima tries to equal the gender difference and puts her views across that Muslim women are ashamed in Islam and have no voice she is lowered down by the male speaker in which we see as the camera shows her eyes and head being lowered. Nasima is portrayed to be superior to everyone present at the meeting as she is not wearing an hjaab but the others behind her are. This scene reinforces the gender and ethnicity theory in which male is seen as the stronger and superior race.


The scene goes on to show Nasima wearing an hijaab to see how she is represented. Throughout the scene Nasima is discriminated against because of the way she is dressed. The range of shot-reverse-shots connotes what is happening around her. There is no sound except little dialogue present during the scenes that she is wearing a hijaab which reinforces the theory as she is seen to be the ‘other’. This connotes to the audience that Nasima is felt discriminated against because of her religion. The scene raises debates and questions of how Muslims are represented due to the mainstream media and how the events of 9/11 have created a moral panic that all Muslims are evil and wrong.