Tasks: Another Day of Life

Write a summary of the story of the film Another Day of Life. The summary should be no more than 250 words.

Work with a partner or in a group and discuss the following questions.

1. Why do you think the film is called Another Day of Life?
2. What is achieved by mixing animation and documentary interviews in the film?
3. How did Ryszard Kapuscinski send his stories to his newspaper in Poland? Would a journalist working in a warzone today do it differently?
4. This film is based on Ryszard Kapuscinski's book about his experiences in Angola. Does the use of animation make it less believable as a true story?
5. Would you want to be a war correspondent after watching the film? Give reasons for your answer.
6. Does the film tell us anything about the role of journalism in society? Explain.
7. Did Ryszard Kapuscinski's actions influence or change the war in any way?
8. What does the film tell us about how the Cold War influenced the civil war in Angola?

Below you find a quotation from the last scenes of the film. Think about what the quotation means and write down your answers to the questions below.

You must save something if you can, because people disappear without a trace, completely and irretrievably, first from the world and then from our memory. I will write, they will never be forgotten. They will leave a trace. They will remain. I was here. This is how I looked. This is the face I had when I was alive. Look at me for a moment, before you turn to something else.

1. Does this quotation tell us anything about Ryszard Kapuscinski's motivation for being a war correspondent?
2. Can this quotation tell us anything about the motivation for making the film Another Day of Life?

Use the internet to find answers to the following questions, then share your answers in a group or with a partner.

1. Why did the civil war in Angola start?
2. How long did the civil war in Angola last?
3. In what way was the Cold War a factor in the Angolan Civil War?
4. How was peace achieved in Angola?
5. Does it seem likely that the peace in Angola will last?

Task 1:

Write a text where you discuss what we can learn from watching the film Another Day of Life.

Task 2:

Write a text where you discuss if it is right for journalists to risk their lives by reporting from war zones.

Task 3:

Compare the film Another Day of Life to another war film you have watched. What similarities are there? What are the main differences? Which film describes war more believably in your opinion?

Task 4:

Write a film analysis of the film Another Day of Life.

(The film analysis worksheet you filled in when watching the film gives you a good starting point for writing the analysis).

Remember to have an introduction where you present the film, and a conclusion.

Remember to have a title that is relevant for the text you have written.

Include a source list for sources you have used.