In our first unit of Language and Literature Y2, we began the year with the introduction to dystopian literature. We studied the themes of societal expectations, relationships, social classes, and technology by watching and analyzing different Black Mirror episodes. Throughout this unit, we had done several activities and assignments in order to broaden our knowledge of the themes, as well as the structure of analyzing a film for IB Language and Literature.

During the beginning of our unit, we learned about China’s social credit system as it relates closely to the first episode of Black Mirror, “Nosedive”. We watched a Vice video on the social credit system, and how it controls all the citizens in a neighborhood. Through this system, having a higher rating allows for more privileges, while having a lower rating leads to less accessibility to several necessities. For example, people with lower ratings are prohibited from purchasing train and airplane tickets, instead, they are required to have a higher rating in order to purchase the tickets, or find another mode of transportation.

Before watching the Black Mirror episodes, we had to learn about the different terminologies that are used when analyzing a film. The terminologies were categorized into 7 different categories: framing, shots and angles, camera movements, sound, lighting, editing techniques, and theatrical elements. Each category plays a crucial role in making sure a film conveys the right message that it is intended to. These terminologies are important to know and understand when writing analysis essays on film to support and enhance our arguments and analyses.

The first episode that we watched was “Nosedive”. In this episode, we saw a close relation to China’s social credit system, where individuals are rated after doing simple tasks, or doing anything at all. The protagonist, Lacie, was often surrounded by other individuals with high ratings, making her feel more insecure about herself. Due to societal standards, Lacie was required to keep a high rating to keep her job, get her house, and even make and keep friends. After completing the episode and taking notes on it, we had analyzed a frame that we chose. I analyzed a frame with Lacie laughing at herself in the mirror, practicing her laugh to make it sound more authentic and friendly to other people around her. I considered the uses of different film techniques to explore the theme of authenticity.