The edited video
(17 minutes 21 seconds):
Titles: To the
sound of a song about the environment performed by the children (written by Charlotte
& Rebekah), we see shots of the school, in sunshine and in snow. The song begins,
'People, people, you are mean, You don't keep our environment clean...,' and ends,
'This has gone on far too long, you think you're right but you are wrong!'.
We cut to Ryan
in the playground: 'This is our school!'. Then to Charlotte, in the school grounds,
holding a map. She shows us where we are, and says, 'We want to tell you about
the environment, and about litter, and all this mess that's around here. If you
look around there's all rubbish and cans and bottles and plastic bags. All plants
have died out, and it's very awful'. Then Rebekah shows us the monument and church
nearby, and notes all the litter around.
Charlotte, Rebekah
and Anna show us a place in the same area where there is further litter - 'And
it's all because of people like you', says Charlotte, 'who are throwing
it all on the ground. It's destroying it and it's making it look awful'. Anna
expresses concerns that tree growth may be impaired, and then all three of them
note a messily broken-down fence. Charlotte and Anna criticise those who spoil
the grass instead of taking the path across the school field. Majid criticises
litter and damage caused to a bush.
Then Adam introduces
us to a 'very horrible' area of land at the bottom of the school field where there
was once a Catholic school, which had a fire and was demolished. Now there is
just rubble and waste ground. Chabu elaborates: 'People are just putting all their
rubbish here. You could now change it into something else. What would you like
it change it into? You could change it into some meadows. Or a swimming pool'.
Charlotte, inside
school, explains that the group wants to know what is going to happen to the Catholic
school site. 'We are going to write a letter to the Leeds City Council about what
they are going to do with it. Chabu is going to ring them up and ask why'.
To music, the
camera (held by Ryan) follows Chabu and Majid through the school to the secretary's
office. Chabu dials the Council. We see his phone call, intercut with shots of
the waste ground in question. 'Um hello, I'm a pupil from Blenheim Primary School
and we're doing a project about the environment. Who could we write to ask about
the Rosary Roman Catholic School and what are they going to do with the er land?...
Pardon, what did you say? The wh? Planning?... Yeah... Yeah... Yeah, so it's erm
write to P. Cook, the Headrow building, Leeds 1. Okay. Bye'. Then Chabu reports
back on the conversation, which he did not find particularly helpful.
We cut to Rebekah,
who reads us her letter to the Council, and then Anna, followed by Adam, then
Majid, who do the same. All note that the wasteground is spoiling the environment,
and ask the Council what they are going to do about it.
We cut to some
shots from the library, where the children have interviewed each other. Rebekah
likes the school; Adam, asked how much of the land is polluted, replies 'About
three-quarters'; Ryan on the local environment: 'Some of it's pleasant and some
of it's unpleasant'. Charlotte gets heated about those who drop litter near the
school - 'They're too lazy, and they feel that they're big because they're throwing
litter on the floor and are making our environment dirty and messy and horrible.
They wouldn't like it if it was their gardens'. Chabu insists that children shouldn't
be lazy and should pick their litter up.
Rebekah shows
us the contrast in an area on the edge of the school grounds where there are both
attractive daffodils, but also litter. Chabu shows us the large road next to the
school - 'All you can hear is the cars that are passing by'.
Adam in another
corner of the school field: 'I don't like this very much. It's got no daffodils
and all this rubbish'. Anna reads a poem against people who drop litter ('Only
plants and flowers cheer us up / People shouldn't be allowed to mess it up').
Ryan reads his poem, which ends, 'Keep the school environment free / So I can
grow like our trees'.
Anna: 'We've
got our letters from the Council at last. Here's mine'. The letter explains that
the Council does not own the land, but outlines some ideas about what they might
like to see it used for, agreeing in vague terms with some of the children's suggestions.
Chabu explains
that the group have decided that they would like the site to be used for 'a community
centre for old people, disabled people and homeless people'. Charlotte outlines
the ideas of an all-night canteen for homeless people, TV and bingo for the elderly
people, and sports 'like netball, basketball and hockey' for the disabled people;
'and they will be a youth club for youths'. Rebekah proposes a possible floor
plan for the centre.
The children
sing a song (which they had learned previously in school) about pollution, accompanied
by relevant shots from the school grounds, and then the end titles.
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