This article is definitely unique. Not everyday do you read about the Amish society, let alone about the Amish society in movies. This piece was about a British filmmaker who wanted Amish families to let their children travel to Europe for a film. This is relevant because the filmmaker came to Arthur, Illinois, a city nearby Champaign. The filmmaker, Forrester-Patton cleverly called this process a cultural exchange.
The article starts with a summary lead. It states the who, what and where, but it leaves the filmmaker anonymous for now. This was a smart choice by the author, since Forrester-Patton is not well known. However, I would put this name in the second paragraph as opposed to the third, since the journalist used a new source in the second paragraph.
I think Rebecca Mabry did an excellent job of explaining why the filmmaker’s presence is controversial. Many readers are not very knowledgeable about the Amish lifestyle. Mabry explains why children are technically able to be filmed, while adults are not. She also explains that they cannot film adults because they are not allowed to ride in planes.
Mabry chose good sources to interview. She has quotes from the filmmaker, the director of the Amish Interpretive Center, and an Amish mother. The author relies a little bit too much on the director, but this is because she speaks for the Amish community. I thought it was interesting that the mother was an anonymous source. It shows how private the Amish prefer to be. I think it would have been cool if Mabry got a quote from a child or teen that could have the chance of being in the film. However, the society seems very protective, thus making the film an impossible feat.
As interesting as the piece is, I find the ending a little confusing. The whole article is about the problems Forrester-Patton is having with his film, but it ends with a quote saying that the film most likely will not be produced. To me, it’s similar to watching Fourth of July fireworks and having the show end before the finale. Ok, so the Amish community is up in arms. I could have guessed that just from the title. I wish Mabry took a different angle on the story, or found some striking information to end the piece on. Maybe another Amish community embraced the opportunity? It just feels like the story is not quite over.
This article can be found at: http://www.news-gazette.com/news/religion/2009/04/09/english_filmmakers_recruiting_effort_upsets_amish
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I agree that the end is a little disappointing...it's like why write the article is the movie isn't going to happen anyways? I think it would have been a lot more interesting if Mabry could have found someone who wanted to be in the film and supported the idea. That would have put more conflict in the story and made it more controversial.
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