you will watch the film Strong Island by Yance Ford
https://www.netflix.com/title/80168230
After watching the film, please write a 1-2 page, double-spaced paper about the film, addressing some (or all)
of the following areas…
- How did director Yance Ford choose to visualize his family’s story? Were the images literal or
representational? How did those images affect you, as a viewer? Did any of the visuals distract from the story? - What were some key aesthetic elements of the film? For example, archival material, home movies, stylized
shots (crane, GoPro, timelapses), reenactments, etc. - One challenge with documentary films is finding a topic that has a sufficient amount of momentum to carry
the story from beginning to end. For example, political campaigns or sporting events have a natural momentum
(ie - beginning, middle, end), which is why they’re such popular topics for documentaries. In this film, what do
you think was the main source of momentum? Do you think it was effective? - In your opinion, was the film engaging throughout? If not, what were some parts that dragged? Why did
those parts slow down the pacing of the film? - What do you think was the director's "moral of the story" -- or, what was the film’s main takeaway? Do you
think the film succeeded in conveying this point?