The live tweet story, describes the human/animal connection by presenting the benefits of having animals in a family and how they can help emotionally, aid in learning, improve communication, offer support and teach responsibility.
The thread begins with the author providing a familial setting to the importance of human-animal bond and presents how pets can address conflict by encouraging positive connections in our daily lives.
The tweet closes by referring to the valuable lessons that animals can teach their humans.
Although I have many favourite stories, the movie A River Runs Through It, a 1992 film directed by Robert Redford and based on the novel of the same name by Norman Maclean is one that holds a place in space and time that resonates on a number of personal levels. This movie is memorable and engaging for many reasons, but most notably, in my eyes, for its beautiful cinematography and location in Missoula, Montana.
The movie tells a story of two brothers growing up in Montana in the early 20th century. The brothers are different in character. The older son is serious and deliberate whereas the younger brother is free spirited and has less restricted aspirations than his brother. Their father, a stern Presbyterian minister, teaches them about fly fishing, the importance of hard work, focus and personal discipline. The father is particular and looks to grace and art to find salvation. Despite their differences in character, the brothers share a deep connection to the land, nature, to family and each other.
The movie’s storytelling is engaging as it intertwines themes of family, religion, relationships, conflict and loss with the art of fly fishing. The narration draws the audience into the movie landscape and immerses them into its’ natural beauty and tragedy. One of the most memorable scenes in the movie is when the brothers fish together on Montana’s Big Blackfoot River. The cinematography is incredible, capturing the vast Montana wilderness and the rhythm of flyfishing. The scene shows the bond of the two brothers who communicate with each other through actions and body language, rather than words. The movie explores the complexities of family relationships and the weight of imposed expectations. It exposes tensions between strict religious morality, free will, human nature and tragedy and blends it with the river and the fish.
While the film doesn’t directly explore Indigenous culture, it does acknowledge the importance of the rivers, mountains, and forests to the Indigenous peoples who lived a traditional way of life on the land now known as Montana, for thousands of years. The movie speaks to the history of the region, including the displacement and subjugation of the Indigenous peoples but only from a peripheral view. For example, one of the brothers, Norman, and his father are shown fishing in a river that was within the home and territory of an Indigenous Nation. Norman commented that the tribe had fished the river long before white settlers arrived. The movie highlights some of the cultural differences and societal barriers that existed between Indigenous and settler populations, however these elements were relatively unexplored in the film.
The storytelling in the movie is engaging because it is both universal and specific. The themes of family, love and loss are relatable to anyone but the setting in Montana is unique and memorable. The movie also employs a variety of storytelling techniques including narration, dialogue and visual imagery to create an immersive experience for the audience.
In short, A River Runs Through It is a memorable and engaging movie that uses good storytelling elements to elicit an emotional and moving experience for the audience.
EXSM 3989 - Digital Storytelling Class Blog 