Adam Bailey

How does The No.1 ladies detective agency depict representation of family and nationality in this extract?

Although this sequence was shot in Africa and from first glance looks like a tribal based simple programme, when examined deeper we see that the characters presented hit key subjects such as politics, love and hate, family values and technological advances in Africa.

The sequence opens to an animation of the main character “Precious” pointing towards Africa; establishing the location for the programme. The credits are shown in a serif font giving a typewriter looking effect. As this is based in Africa this has been done as the technology there is far less advanced to what it is here and all important textual documents will be written by typewriter.

We are immediately introduced to an aerial extreme long shot of Africa’s vast lakes, swamps and forests; showing the audience that Africa is not industrialised and still very natural. Throughout the entire extract only earth colours were used from clothes to the environment to the props; all greens, brown and yellows.

Families were the most obvious point in the sequence as from the start “Precious” was telling the audience (as a non diagetic narrative) about how her father educated her from a child. Whilst the young girl was being taught by her father most or nearly all shots were filmed with a shallow depth of field; representing her understanding of the world and her father opening it up for her. However after being taught about her environment the depth of field expanded.

What this also told the audience was that it wasn’t schools that educated “Precious” but it was her father who encouraged her enthusiasm for detective work. This doesn’t mean that she wasn’t educated in schools however most of the important facts of life she picked up from life experience.

The feel of this extract is very optimistic happy. Although it would be easy to make an African village programme negative and tribal, the creators and editors have based this extract on family, friendship love and happiness.

Crime and punishment is not only practised in richer countries as we see in this extract. Politics and penal systems are portrayed when we see a court hearing on a man accused of stealing a cow. A trial was carried out followed by a judgement; showing that the village they lived in had laws and regulations.

It is also in this scene where precious is given her first taste of detective work. Whilst the court hearing takes place there is a cut away to a close up of “Precious” contemplating on the situation. She then runs off and cuts to a shot of a calf that she had released running to her mother cow. From this we see that “Precious” has a talent for solving crimes and givers the viewers an idea of what to expect from the rest of the programme.

Throughout the sequence there is non diagetic music playing in the background of tribal drums and shouting; keeping the theme of South Africa. However there are also diagetic noises throughout of wildlife and plants reminding the viewers the location of the programme.

Technology is not as advanced as the only machine shown is “Precious’s” fathers van; an old pick up van. Aside from that everything is hand built from wood including the court house. From this the audience gains an impressions that “Precious” has come from a wealthy background; this is backed up by evidence that her father works in the court house.

Although it has been portrayed in a different context the community in this extract have lots of similarities to the British community.