With the airports, ports and main roads closed, sea evacuation was considered the best option. Due to a high volume of evacuees and the priority being getting as many people as possible, only one rucksack full of valuables per person would be permitted aboard. 


The first sea evacuation took place on Tuesday when around 180 of the "highest priority" Britons were taken to Limassol in Cyprus on board HMS Gloucester, which was granted a brief "window" to sail through the Israeli blockade around the port of Beirut.

Amongst an estimated 12,000 British nationals and 10,000 dual nationals in Lebanon, 5,000 wanted to evacuate. 

Following the journey about a young girl who gets evacuated with her mother and brother from Lebanon to Cyprus on a HMS ship amongst other families. The journey follows her from receiving the news, to having to pack just a small rucksack filled with her belongings before leaving everything behind. Into an exciting but unknown new environment.


The mood board shows the general idea that I am aiming to achieve based on what has influenced me throughout the research process. Firstly my opening scene is based around war life and following an individuals life. I really wanted to emphasise the impact that experiencing a war can have and that it is happening all around the world leaving extreme damaging memories that many people aren't aware of. This is why I plan to have some quite intense shots within the short film shown in the mood board, including several quotes and disturbing pictures surrounding the subject. Secondly I had to focus on setting a formal respectful representation seeing as it is a sensitive subject. This why I wanted to include facts without directly telling the audience, meaning I have drifted away from making it seem wholly like a documentary. Thirdly I had to think of a key idea that would make my film stand out and seem original. To do this I decided to take advantage of my personal experience and use some authentic footage featuring a look into an interview on a news article done shortly after the evacuation.

Initial Ideas and Inspiration

Ivan’s Childhood (1962)

Come and See (1985)

I watched both of these films prior to further development of my own film in order to gain an insight on two different but same genre films. I was able to identify what effects the director had wanted on the reader, which helped me massively dictate which my desired effect would be.

Common themes of black and white and sepia filters to make them seem more authentic and appealing to the audience.  

Come and see me is particularly relating to a child, following his journey through the war.

Mood Board

The mood board shows the general idea that I am aiming to achieve based on what has influenced me throughout the research process. Firstly my opening scene is based around war life and following an individuals life. I really wanted to emphasise the impact that experiencing a war can have and that it is happening all around the world leaving extreme damaging memories that many people aren't aware of. This is why I plan to have some quite intense shots within the short film shown in the mood board, including several quotes and disturbing pictures surrounding the subject. Secondly I had to focus on setting a formal respectful representation seeing as it is a sensitive subject. This why I wanted to include facts without directly telling the audience, meaning I have drifted away from making it seem wholly like a documentary. Thirdly I had to think of a key idea that would make my film stand out and seem original. To do this I decided to take advantage of my personal experience and use some authentic footage featuring a look into an interview on a news article done shortly after the evacuation.

Our first plan

I began by gathering a few inspirational photos to set the mood in order for us to maximise the broadness and opportunity, giving us many options and allowing my film to be developed to its full potential considering audience and what my aim is.

Studying Base Theories

Roland Barthes
Roland Barthes' theory was that there were 5 narrative codes. Also that a text can either be closed or open, closed meaning there is only one way to see a storyline however open means that there are multiple ways to think about a thread indicating lots of symbolism.

• Hermeneutic, commonly known as the Enigma code, is applied anywhere that there is unanswered or elements of mystery.
• Proairetic, also known as the Action code, meaning lots of action is used to draw the viewers attention and leave them hooked.
• Semantic code is anything that has more than one layer of meaning and has connotations.
• Symbolic code uses props to symbolise also applying the semiotics often used with colours.
• Referential code refers to some basic knowledge on the topic of film or place in which it is set etc.

Todorov
Todorov had a theory that every different story consisted of the same 5 stages.

• Happy
• Disruption of equilibrium
• Protagonist notices the disruption
• Restoration of equilibrium or attempted restoration
• New equilibrium

Vladimir Propp 
Propps theory was that in every storyline there are always 8 different character types.

1. Hero
2. Villain
3. Donor (helps hero)
4. Dispatcher
5. False Hero
6. Helper
7. Princess
8. Princess' Father

Levi-Strauss
Levi-Strauss' theory was that there are binary oppositions.

having considered all of these, in correspondence with the genre and chosen outcomes will be interpreting majority of Roland Barthes theory which we have studied in depth in lectures.

Research into our chosen genre