Positioning vs Alignment

• positioned with the other children as well as Hushpuppy, and others in the building
• Positioned with the woman (mother-like figure)
• Aligned with Hushpuppy
• Aligned with the woman when she is holding Hushpuppy as well as being aligned with Hushpuppy

Film Form/Dynamic Interaction

• ‘floating catfish shack’, ‘girls girls girls’, ‘Elysian fields’ (- fairy tale) lights
• children looking down into the light
• can’t hear the people on the stage talking, hear muffled background voices and music
• bright light – walking into the kitchen
• close up of the food contrasting to the close up of the bugs at the beginning
• Point of view shot when being held by her dad
• Fairy lights – magical realism – real but appears magical
• real lights/lighting (?) – passion (?)
• The mother figures speech is similar to the woman’s from beginning as it’s about how you have to look after yourself – theme of self reliance
• hand held camera
• out of focus –  dreamy, ideal
• repetition shot of the same memory of the mum cooking

Binary Oppositions

• men and women and their interaction with children

Range of Readings/Responses (Hal) (and active viewing)

• Woman fulfilling maternal actions contrasts with the coldness of the blue lighting when the dad holds her and contrasts with the fairy lights with the women
• All the children could be looking for a mother-like attention
• Hushpuppy’s imagining that it’s her mum (active viewing)
• Maybe the woman isn’t even there? (active viewing)

Ideology/Values

• Physical contact – comfort
• She was looking for a mother hence we see it as a warm environment as it’s from the child’s perspective