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Where I Belong

Rosie Benn, 2017

Rajesh, who is deaf, returns home to celebrate his uncle’s birthday. What should be a family celebration has quite a different feel to it as we experience the gathering from Rajesh’s perspective.

Throughout this powerful film, we are invited to explore an everyday event from the point of view of someone who is hearing-impaired, but can also relate this to feeling like an outsider in any way.

Clip Details

Genre: Drama

Country of Origin: UK

Clip Length: 08:19

Age Group: S4-S6

Classroom Activities

  • How does Rajesh seem when he’s in his car? Does he seem happy? How do you know?
  • Rajesh is welcomed by his mother. How does this welcome jar with his demeanour?
  • How does the director create a sense of awkwardness when Rajesh enters the family home?
  • How does the director create a feeling of empathy with Rajesh? Which film techniques are used?
  • How do you think Rajesh is feeling? How does the director use sound to give an insight into Rajesh’s experience of the party?
  • Consider the scene where Rajesh goes into the woods. This is an example of a transition. What is the director aiming to achieve by using a transition here? Consider where he goes, what the light is like, whether other people are featured in the scene.
  • After the interlude where Rajesh screams, how has the atmosphere at the party changed? How does that make you feel? How do you think Rajesh feels?
  • At 06:46 minutes the chatter resumes, and the sign language stops. Rajesh is once again excluded. How does the director use colour to reinforce the message of the film here?
  • Who do you think the film was made for? Why?
  • How many errors in ways of communicating can you spot from the hearing-enabled characters? What is their body language like? Do they face Rajash when they speak? Is it easy for him to lip read what they are saying? What would you have done differently to ensure that Rajesh felt included?
  • Belonging. Inclusion. Contribution. How important are these words to an individual’s sense of community?
  • Rajesh and his family are not able to communicate properly. Which other groups in society might feel ostracised in a similar way? Do we have a responsibility to include people with whom we may find it difficult to communicate?

Clip Details

Genre: Drama

Country of Origin: UK

Clip Length: 08:19

Education Level: Senior Phase