This document provides guidance for analyzing the representation of location and social issues in the film Tsotsi. It includes directions for students to: 1) Recap prior learning about themes of decency, redemption, and the portrayal of the main character as a brutal gang leader. 2) Analyze a key scene where a police officer's reaction signifies the divide between communities. 3) Consider the messages and values about people and places represented in the film's images, and how audiences may respond. 4) Summarize the two main themes in one sentence each, with examples from the text. 5) Complete a homework assignment producing a mind map analyzing locations and social issues in the film.

1. Title:
Tsotsi –
Location and Social Representation
Analysis
Monday 1st December 2014
FM4:
Varieties of Film Experience – Issues and Debates
Section A Specialist Study 1:
Urban Stories – Power, Poverty and
Conflict

2. Why?
Aims & Objectives
• YOU WILL re-cap prior
learning.
• YOU WILL analyse the
representation of the
location and social
issues from the principle
text Tsotsi.
• Review the learning.
AO1
Demonstrate knowledge and
understanding of film as an
audio-visual form of creative
expression together and
AO2
Apply knowledge and
understanding, including
some of the common critical
approaches that characterise
the subject, when exploring
and analysing films.

3. Starter 1) –
Re-cap Prior Learning
You need to complete the Quiz on FM4 – Section A by going to:
ncrafts.wordpress.com – Hover over ‘WJEC A2 Film Studies’ and then ‘Section A’ –
Click on the ‘FM4: Section A’ Page – Click on the hyperlink to the quiz

4. FEEDBACK
How did you get on?

5. Using your mini-whiteboards, YOU MUST summarise these themes & issues based on what
you learnt over the last few lessons.
YOU SHOULD give examples (Verbal, non-verbal and/or technical) of where this transition is
represented in the text.
Decency & Redemption
“A Brutal, Hardened Gang Leader”
(Karen Lee-Street – 2013)
Starter 2) –
2 minutes

6. FEEDBACK
How did you get on?

7. (Karen Lee-Street – 2013)

8. The extract where the policeman says “f*ck” after looing out into Soweto –
YOU MUST answer the questions BELOW after watching the scene:
1) WHY does he say this?
2) Does he fear something/someone?
3) Does this ‘signify’ (De Saussure) the divide between different communities in the city?
4) The technical code of the wide shot of the Soweto landscape – Connotations?
YOU SHOULD be prepared to identify example from the film and feedback your ideas to
the rest of the class.
Task 1) – 8 minutes

9. FEEDBACK
How did you get on?

10. Task 2) – 8 minutes

11. Task 2) – 10 minutes
“Think – Pair – Share”
Based on the handout provided (previous slide), YOU MUST consider the following:
• WHAT messages and values are ‘injected’ (Hperdermic needle theory) into the
spectators minds about the people and/or places represented in EACH image?
• HOW do the spectators respond to this representation?
Extension - YOU COULD refer to theory such as Stuart Hall (1980) ‘Audience reception’

12. Task 2) – 8 minutes
FEEDBACK

13. What have you learnt?
YOU MUST summarise the 2 themes into 1 sentence for EACH theme.
Extension – YOU COULD give examples from the text to support your understanding.
Tsotsi – Locations & Social Issues

14. Homework
Produce a “Mind-Map” of the Location and Social Issues
represented in the text. (1 Page)
Due: Next Lesson – L9 – Tuesday 3rd December
Study this – Complete some of
the tasks!