Points to highlight/consider:
1 | Brother Number One has been produced as both a feature film and a television documentary (in differently edited versions). What are the differences between a cinema and television audience (consider: the nature of the audience, viewing environment, engagement and attention span)? How do you think these differences could impact on the nature of the film and how it addresses its audiences? If you have access to both, compare the two versions of Brother Number One and comment on the specific choices made by the director and editor which indicate that audiences are being addressed differently.
2 | Brother Number One has been screened at local and international film festivals, and in national cinemas. Consider the difference between a mainstream cinema release and a festival or ‘boutique’ cinema release. How do the different viewing contexts target or even produce certain audiences, and how do industry classifications in terms of audiences determine the genre/meaning of the film?
3 | Brother Number One tells the story of a traumatic period in Cambodia’s past from the personal point of view of a Westerner, in ways which target a Western/New Zealand audience. Evaluate and debate the ethical issues that arise when one society’s history is represented for the purpose of engaging the attention of another nation, society or culture. To what extent does the depiction of Rob Hamill’s personal journey enable Western/New Zealand audiences to identify with an horrific episode in the history of a faraway place? Are there any problems in addressing the suffering of one Westerner and one family in a historical situation where millions were killed? How does the filmmaker/film address this potential problem within the structure of and strategies undertaken by the film? What are the potential ethical issues that arise in showing images of violence and brutality on film? Do they feel different to the violence we see regularly within mainstream cinema and television – if so, how?
4 | Special screenings of Brother Number One were organized for members of the Hamill family and other participants prior to the national cinema release of the film. Why is it important to acknowledge the special significance of documentary footage for those most intimately connected with represented events? How might these ‘closed’ viewing sessions differ from screenings for the general public?
