By Katie Muldoon
Watching a film from another country can seduce you into beyond simply following a story. You can immerse yourself into another way of life, and for a time, draw in the essence of a different way of being, similar but wonderfully different from your own. International films, I believe, can, not unlike actual travel, allow added depth to a new experience.
Before I lecture on a film, just like before I leave for a foreign country, I research the area hoping to find tidbits that add texture and authenticity to the visit. As a photographer, I “hunt” for those out of the ordinary photos opportunities as these often have the story behind them. That is exactly what happened on our recent visit to Llandudno, Wales.
Why was a large statue of the Red Queen from Alice in Wonderland not just along the magnificent bayside promenade but also as part of the Wonderland grouping in a park at the foot of the Great Orme Mountain? Who would expect that this small resort town would have an Alice walking trail with key places of interest? Why Llandudno? Well, Alice Liddell, the inspiration for the famous book, has connections to Llandudno. Her family not only summered here, but her parents chose beautiful Llandudno for their honeymoon so she is critically important to the charming town.
Just as interesting and another tie-in, Wales is where the long-fought Wars of the Roses (1455-1485) finally ended. There’s an extensive, complicated story about that – just know that Richard III’s reign ended and Henry VII married Elizabeth of York, uniting the two houses, ending that bloody war. Some feel that Through the Looking Glass was a sly echo of that Civil War between The House of York and The House of Lancaster, especially the part where the Red Queen commands the famous ”Off with his Head!” referring to the captive Duke of York’s head.
One more thing about this fascinating town concerned World War I – the Great Orme which overlooks and connects the east and west bays around Llandudno didn’t really look like a mountain to my eyes though many think of it as one. It’s kind of a big hill that played an essential role in WWI. At the very beginning of the war, planes flew over the mountain, heading, it turned out, to London and suddenly smoke and such were seen. It didn’t take the Welsh long to realize that London had been bombed and to quickly get telegraph equipment to the top of their beautiful hill to do their bit to end all that nonsense.
Even more, fathers and brothers quickly volunteered as one to serve in the war. Sadly, entire families were in the same trenches and were lost together. The promenade recognizes this slaughter with a handsome memorial made of red poppies, inspired by the WWI poem Flanders Field that honors all the many who died from this small town and around the world in WWI and other wars.
Travel gives you an opportunity to delve into another world. But we have a similar chance here too. I love researching the backgrounds behind the international films at Lifelong Learning. Every film I teach has at least one story within the main story to unearth for the little known details that enhance and personalize the experience so that it becomes something memorable and truly educational.
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Katie, thank you for providing a delightful lesson in connecting “Alice” to British history. Speaking from experience, those same elements are part of your film lectures at LLS. Thank you.