Testing the echo: a filming area in Koloma

The article consists of two parts: the students’ account and teachers’ summing up of the project.

Students’ view on shooting Testing the Echo

Last year we went through an unforgettable experience. Our teacher, Tatiana Fomenko, helped us to shoot a short video on the play by David Edgar “Testing the Echo”. The play was not included in the compulsory course, but after reading it, we can confidently say that we have broadened our horizons, learnt about the international problem associated with immigrants in the UK, the work is based on real events.

The issue of immigration is relevant. According to ONS, last year a record number of people received the residence permit in the UK— 241 thousand. Ministry of Internal Affairs explains that period included many existing petitions on granting political asylum, which had been under consideration for many years. In addition, in the period from April to June last year, the number of requests for political asylum has increased by 9%, most of them by Muslim citizens.

The plot of the play is quite controversial and thoughtprovoking. It tells of how people from different countries studied at special courses, after passing which they become UK citizens. The play is alive with a riot of characters and beliefs, religions and nations, opinions and views. I have never seen before such flavour in any other books. The characters of the play have to assimilate with the people of another country, accept the traditions and customs of Great Britain, and it is a cause of constant strife between the teacher and the students to forget their values, which are at odds with the values of British people. It is difficult to imagine what a multinational state the United Kingdom is, and other countries are, because every person, regardless of nationality has their own opinion about art, politics, and development. The author tries to show that it was virtually impossible to be both Muslim and British. [David Edgar is exploring the difficulties, not showing that it is ‘virtually impossible’. Editors.]

Emma, a teacher at courses, tries to understand the motives of each and to explain what it means to be a true citizen of the UK. She tells them about the features of the country, gives a short discourse on history. The main dramatic situation, in my opinion is, the conflict that erupts between Emma and Nazim, who is a Muslim of strict rules and cannot accept the fact that people eat pork.

Nasim: What is this card?

Emma: I believe it is a picture of a sausage

Nasim: Sausage pig. Pig is unclean

Emma: Not to British people. That's why we're discussing

Nasim: You ask me discuss this go against religion. It is haram to discuss unclean.

Now the UK is called the "Paradise for Muslims". Many people speak about the real threat of Muslim immigration, but at the official level it is not taken into consideration. It is the policy of tolerance.

I will assume that the final scene also made an indelible impression on all readers, when the Ukrainian woman puts an end to relations with her husband in order to be independent from the family ties. Aziz, a Muslim, the husband of Tatiana, admits that he lied to her, begging her not to leave him and his daughter. But Tatiana decided to become a UK citizen, to be eligible for free life, the right to vote, the right to freedom of speech.

So life did not seem to be a bowl of cherries for us when we started shooting our film.

Self-made sceneries, extemporaneous shooting locations, natural light and tough conditions - all these things have turned the shooting into a real challenge. Nevertheless, the solution of such problems is definitely one of the stages of the development and improvement.

First of all we gathered together to share our impressions about the text and ideas of the future filming. Taking into account the opinion of each participant, the creative group of our course wrote a scenario, based on the play and distributed roles. (The fact is that it was difficult for us to stage and shoot the whole play). It was cool: extravaganza of emotions, feelings and positive outcome from each participant! Every actor seemed to be passing through the life of his character! Scenes of verbal sparring between Emma and Nasim brought some tension in the filming process, however, forgotten words and spoiled takes made us laugh into fits, meanwhile the quarrel between Tatiana and Aziz left no one indifferent.

[Daria Shevlyuga, who played the role of a historian, would like to share her impressions as well] I was really interested in this rather captivating and true to life story where members from other countries and cultures try to become a part of a new society. This can be not only the example of a complicated way to becoming a real member of Great Britain. Not only English is the key for them to become the citizens of a foreign country but all the aspects of the new surrounding and culture which unite them in their moving along one road to their new life.

There is no doubt that the shooting of your own film is an unforgettable experience which everyone should go through! We were very pleased to see the result of our work. And, of course, once again we want to express our gratitude to the international Oxford - Russia Fund and our professor, Tatiana Fomenko, for such vivid days and endless happiness from participation in this project.

Teacher’s comments:

Reading plays a very important role in the life of a person”, it is the phrase that every student says and every teacher can’t but agree. But do we really read a lot today when we are attached to our smart-phones and social media networks? We shouldn’t launch into a “kids (students) these days” tirade! The research shows that approximately 70-90% of the information we receive visually, that is the reason why it is difficult to unplug the students from their tiny screens and make them read a book which is time consuming and requires an effort. They’ll stop checking their Facebook, Twitters and other social media accounts and do it only if they are really hooked, tremendously motivated with something generally fascinating that they’ve seen from their network friends or media.

Several years ago one of the main Russian channels started a project “movies based on classical Russian literature”, then I noticed that more and more young people are getting interested in it and they can be seen in the underground with Idiot and War and Peace in their hands (at that period e-books were not so popular and one glance at the cover was enough to find out what a person is reading). When I was given the course in Literature I asked myself why not to follow the above mentioned “strategy”, as movies are the quickest way to engage students. Besides I was inspired with a session given by Aleksey Kozyleav, the head of a translation company RuFilms, at the Summer translation school in 2015, who said that today’s youth are quite possibly the most media and technologically savvy generation than there has ever been.

It is not a secret that some students find classes in Literature and reading in general less than engaging. To arouse students’ curiosity I put them in charge of the project of shooting Testing the Echo by David Edgar. The process allowed my students to be not simply readers of the text or spectators of the world events, but to feel like they are a part of them. I believe that our version of the play gives the audience some room to think about. Besides our experience shows that students can become active producers rather than passive consumers of multimedia. To tell the truth, this project required “several” class sessions (it is really a hard and time-consuming issue) and a certain degree of sophistication (creating the script, discussing the scenes, costumes, props, light, casting parts, and what not) but I had creative, enthusiastic students and thanks to all of them, who participated in that project and who were really passionate about it, we have done it. I truly hope that all their insights and energy were not a waste of time. I encourage us, teachers and educators, to embrace this powerful tool for learning. Woody Allen ones said “If my film makes one more person miserable, I’ve done my job”, so if our experience made one more person open the book and read it, we’ve done our job.

We really hope that after watching our “movie” David Edgar won’t quote John LeCarre “Having your book turned into a movie is like seeing your oxen turned into bouillon cubes”, at least we dare think that we’ve made tasty cubes.

VPS Karen Hewitt who studied the video, was impressed and sent it to David Edgar. He was impressed too. Also, notably, it was the boys who were enthusiastic actors.}