A Young Female Activist Hero on Screen: A Spaceship That Lost Its Way!
Hasna Afshari, child psychologist and researcher in children and media, offered an educational and doctrinal look at the animation 'Safina-ye Nejat' (Rescue Ship) in an article.
Guest note - Hasna Afshari, child psychologist and researcher in the field of children and media; The animation "Safineh Nejat" is one of those works that enters the field with an ambitious idea: linking the world of Ta'zia, Ashura and Manji Bavari with a science fiction narrative for children and teenagers. At first glance, this bold combination can seem attractive and even necessary; Because animation today is one of the most important platforms for transferring identity and religious concepts to the new generation. In "Rescue Ship" we are not only dealing with an entertaining work, but we are facing a text that is supposed to affect the deeper layers of the child's mind and emotions and build a bridge between the world of fantasy and religious concepts.
The problem starts from this point: has this idea been able to be formed in the form of a coherent, understandable and educational narrative for the child, or has it simply become a juxtaposition of several different semantic worlds?
A powerful story, but unstable
Hani is a boy from the city of Zanjan who is interested in Ta'zia and wishes to be a "hero". Following an incident and with a self-made hat, he is separated from the earth and reaches a ship that takes him to the planet Ebony; A planet involved in drought and survival crisis. In this new world, people are waiting for a savior based on an old belief; A savior who will come from the "Hat Nebula". Mistakes are made and Honey is placed in the position of savior, simply because of outward signs and a misunderstanding.
Next, the story progresses with the arrival of invading creatures, water crisis and efforts to save the planet, and finally, with the activation of the internal energy (electricity) of one of the characters named Darya, the main knot of the story is opened. At the level of the idea, this storyline can be very attractive and even inspiring; But the problem is in the way of payment. Instead of linking these elements together in a coherent path, the narrative advances them in a parallel and sometimes discrete manner. The result is a work that is more than a "narrative flow", it is a collection of situations and signs that do not become a "coherent world".
At the beginning of the story, Hani wants to be the "hero of Tazia", but the film never makes it clear who exactly this hero is. Imam Hussain (AS)? Is it Hazrat Abbas (AS)? According to the producer, the script was written in consultation with Hojjat-ul-Islam Alireza Panahian with the aim of a compact representation of the logic of the Ashura uprising to show the hero in the position of supporting children, but for the child audience and based on our beliefs, all the martyrs of Karbala are heroes and have the capacity to set an example. Of course, the focus of the Ashura event is with Imam Hussain (AS), but in raising a child and creating a role model for the child, the "model" must be clear. The child learns from the behavior of others. When the hero is unknown and ambiguous, being a hero becomes a "directionless desire" rather than a moral path. In such a situation, instead of facing a specific behavioral pattern and educational position, the child is only faced with the desire to be a hero; A desire that has no direction and can hardly be converted into real behavior. At this point, the child faces an unanswered question: "What does being a hero mean and on what basis is it defined?" When this definition is not formed, the development path of the main character of the animation is not clear.
One of the most valuable educational effects of "Lifeboat" is to portray the components of secure attachment in interpersonal relationships. The relationship between Darya and her father is an accurate representation of a secure base; Where even with the change of father's nature and turning him into a water trap, the sea does not find an emotional break from him. Because they had an emotional reserve from the past and he maintains the parent-child bond in the most critical situation by continuing to care and express unconditional love. In parallel, Hani and Baba Haji's relationship is also a model of intergenerational respect and acceptance of children in any situation.
This layer of narration has a reassuring and vital message for the child audience: that the family is his safest shelter. The implicit message of the film to the child audience is that in any situation, even after slips or in crises, they will still be in the care and acceptance of their family. This emotional continuity that we see in the film teaches the child that the family is a supporter and savior that does not leave him alone in the most difficult environmental turmoil and is his final refuge.
One of the most sensitive parts of the film is its introduction to the concept of a savior. People are waiting for a savior, Hani is mistakenly placed in this position, and finally, a kind of emphasis on "man's inner energy" as a savior is formed. The main issue here is entering into a belief concept without clear boundaries. As a result, the border between "fictional hero", "religious savior" and "individual ability" does not remain clear in the mind of the child audience.
Finally, the message is: "You are the savior." This shift, without explanation, creates an important conceptual error. For the child, the result can be that being a savior means being in a certain situation or trying to find an inner ability; While in religious logic, "savior" is a defined and irreplaceable position.
In the work review session, the producer pointed out a strategic point that was our intention: the review of the thinking of the Hojjatiyeh and Inaction Association is pending. The creators emphasized that in the Shiite revolutionary thinking, Imam Zaman (A.S.) is not the one who single-handedly makes everything beautiful, but we should prepare ourselves by creating the right conditions. This film wants to convey the message that it should not be ignored. But will this concept be understandable to the child audience?
The thing to consider is that even if "Savior" was removed, the film would have the capacity of an educational message: try, find your role, don't despair and solve the problem together with others. If the narration remained at the same level of "human hero" and did not enter the promised concept, its message would be clearer and less challenging. Emphasis on human inner abilities, if placed in its right place, can have a positive educational message; For example, a person should not be passive and should know his talents. But when this inner force replaces divine guidance, religious truth and the promised savior, it creates a belief problem. In this case, salvation no longer passes through the path of faith, guidance, justice, repentance, collective responsibility and divine assistance, but is simply the result of discovering a hidden power within the individual. This pattern is more similar to mythological narratives and modern fantasy; Such a model is seriously different from the concept of Shia Mahdism.
But the important issue, in my opinion, occurs in the gap between the constructive intention and the child's cognitive perception mechanism. A child at primary school age lacks the ability to separate complex metaphors and abstract interpretations; When a dialogue such as "I made a mistake from the beginning, I sat waiting" is recited by Danak in the narrative text, the child's objective mind does not understand it as a modification of the concept of waiting, but rather receives a kind of negation of belief in the savior. In other words, the lofty message of "human responsibility" is unintentionally placed against the "need for divine guidance and savior" due to the weakness of script engineering.
Representation of Iranian achievements, ecosystem and cultural richness
One of the most brilliant dimensions of animation is its ability to connect "modern scientific advances" with "authentic indigenous and cultural roots"; An approach that strengthens the sense of belonging, national pride and identity in the audience of children and teenagers:
Injecting national and scientific pride with reference to the aerospace industry: the clever idea of launching a biological capsule and replacing Hani with a space monkey is a tangible and proud reference to the real achievement of Iranian scientists in launching a living organism into Earth orbit. Instead of borrowing from western models and space bases (such as NASA), this story element pushes the child's mind towards native capabilities and pull towards advanced science.
Introducing the climatic attractions and the stepped architecture of Shilander village in Zanjan: the visual design of the locations goes beyond the clichéd and repetitive spaces and with careful inspiration from the historical and beautiful village of Shilander in Zanjan, it displays an eye-catching effect of stepped architecture, rocky alleys and the pristine nature of Iran. This provides a wonderful platform for the new generation to get to know the geographical diversity and visual beauty of their homeland.
Revival of traditional rites and the pure effects of Ta'zieh: Depicting the passionate atmosphere of preparation for reciting Ta'zieh, instruments, tools in the village bed, has brought the Iranian-Islamic religious and ancient culture into the fantasy world in a dynamic, vivid and tangible way, so that the child feels closeness and connection with his identity heritage in addition to the excitement of the story.
accidental hero; Luck or responsibility?
One of the recurring patterns in the film is the advancement of the story through coincidences. Honey's entry into the ship, her recognition as a savior, and even the final denouements rely more on external circumstances and coincidences than internal character choices. When knots are untied by chance, the implicit message is: "Everything will work itself out"; While education requires exactly the opposite: choice, effort, responsibility. In a narrative for a child, the event can be the starting point, but if chance replaces decision and responsibility, the concept of "activity" is weakened in the audience's mind. The child needs to see that change is the result of choice and standing, not simply being in a certain situation. Therefore, a narrative that wants to talk about a savior of belief and salvation must balance three elements: human effort, moral responsibility, hope and reliance on God; Otherwise, waiting turns into passivity and rescue turns into luck.
The bright point of this work is the conscious choice of a female protagonist (Daria) who, contrary to stereotypes, is an activist and at the height of the crisis, changes the course with sacrifice (existential sacrifice). This choice breaks the stereotype of the male hero and gives the girls of our audience the self-confidence of an identity that being a hero is not about gender, but about willpower." But Hani as the second person, although he has the capacity of a significant growth path and is a motivated and relatable child, we do not see this path completely. His change is not gradual and tangible, but remains at a limited level. On the other hand, the character of "Sea" reaches the point of effect by trying to reach the goal and its sudden electricity being connected to the sky. As a result, self-confidence is raised but not built.
Fake Ashura and incorrect use of the concept of the enemy
The title of the animation and the general course from Ta'ziyeh to "Planet of the hat" refer to Ashurai concepts, but these concepts are less common in the behavior and decisions of the characters. Consequently, what remains is more "telling" than "showing." For the child audience, the understanding of religious concepts is formed when he sees them in action; In choosing, in sacrifice, in standing. In the story, there are references to Ashura, Imam Hussain (AS) and expressions such as "the entire day of Ashura and the entire land of Karbala", but these concepts are in many cases directly and rhetorically and even humorously included in the narration. A religious concept becomes understandable for a child when it is embodied in the behavior of the characters. For example, if the concept of "victory of blood over the sword" is to be brought up, the child should see it in the form of the character's behavior and the result of the characters' choices: a character who does not give up the truth despite apparent defeat, pays to defend the oppressed, does not get deceived by power and shows that victory does not only mean physical victory. Even in some scenes, we feel that religious symbols have more of a function of making people laugh than a meaning such as the presence of the Ta'zieh lion.
Also, in the case of water frogs, they are presented as deformed creatures affected by the slime toad contamination. If these beings without agency are represented as forces of evil, the important distinction between "misguided, deluded, coerced, and knowingly cruel man" is lost. In the incident of Karbala, the enemies of Imam Hussain (a.s.) were not just mindless creatures; Many of them stood against the truth by choice, selfishness, fear and worldliness. The child must learn that evil is not always in the form of an external monster, sometimes it is formed from human choices such as lies, greed, fear, indifference and silence in the face of oppression.
Visualization: Among the narrative reviews, the visual part of the film is notable. The design of the world and the details of the fantasy environments show that Iranian animation has reached acceptable maturity in the field of technology. The child viewer is exposed to a fascinating world that visually holds attention. This progress shows that the main problem of children's animation in Iran today is more than technical, it is in the script and narrative layer.
Patching of elements: Sometimes it feels that the elements of Ta'ziyeh, Ashura, Hat, Ship, Water Crisis, Savior, Zombie-type creatures and internal electricity are placed together without sufficient connection. In the production of religious works, simply adding religious symbols does not make the work religious. The religious work must be compatible with its foundations at a deeper level, in terms of looking at human beings, ethics and truth.
Music and Rhythm: Music in children's animation is not just a decorative element, it is part of the narrative. In the animation, although it was tried to use the familiar sound of Taazieh, some pieces of music have a rhythmic atmosphere and close to the atmosphere of dance, and we see this state in the characters. In some moments, the music is inconsistent with the Ashurai and dramatic atmosphere of the story. In animation, music should serve narration and emotion.
Unnecessary sub-narratives: scenes such as Danak's expression of love to his wife or Sarchang's imagination about the future and his marriage to Gol Seng, not only do not help the child's understanding, but also distract him from the main story line. In a children's work, every scene must lead or make sense.
Why is "Salvation Ship" a retrograde?
The presence of the name of Hadi Mohammadian (the director of successful works such as Prince of Rome, Fil Shah and especially Bachazarang) in this project raised the level of expectations. When a director has a track record with these coordinates, we expect to see something stronger than his previous works.
His "smart kid" had been able to show the correct and staggered heroism. We witness the transformation of an ordinary boy in the love of a superhero (Mohsen) into a child who learns what true sacrifice and salvation are.
Also, in his previous work, we saw Pirang's believable connection with the concept of "Deer Guarantee" in an emotional, clean and completely dramatic way without falling into the trap of Goldarsht's sloganeering, while maintaining the logic of Iranian fantasy and the connection of Iranian native culture and nature with modern animation.
Considering this brilliant history, the weaknesses of "Lifeboat" can no longer be attributed to the "inexperience of the production team", but in my opinion, to the "crisis of the script, haste and conceptual eclecticism".
In "Bechehzarang", fantasy elements were in the service of the hero's spiritual evolution; But here, the fantasy elements of space and the savior, ta'ziyeh, water-spouts and the nebula of the hat are arranged together like heterogeneous patches. In "Bechehzarang", joking with children's heroic games eventually led to the child's maturity; But we don't see this growth in the sea. This kind of half-hearted payment and asking the audience to predict the events in their own mind, although it can be exciting, but from an educational point of view, it does not show the process of "ability formation" well, and the child is less likely to witness the process of "learning responsibility".
Even the caricature of Hani, the boy who loves recitations, remains funny until the end. The knot of the story is solved by an accident and connecting the inner energy to the sky. At the end of the animation, we also expected Darya to say, "The hero is in my heart, he helps me fight" according to the conversation he had with Hani before, but we don't see this and Hani just goes to fight the mud monster with his own handmade hat. Of course, according to the makers, this hat is a symbol of the hero's presence by the sea.
This issue shows that even experienced directors and technical groups, when they do not use competent and numerous consultants with different views in the layer of "content research and religious-educational screenwriting" or get involved in formalism and postmodern gestures, they can create such cognitive and educational errors in the final work.
In addition to the criticisms of the script, the work has undeniable capacities and brilliance that deserves praise:
1. Strengthening the idea of "finding your role": passing from being a spectator to being responsible and active in the field of life.
2. Valuing unity and teamwork: victory in the shadow of collective solidarity instead of relying on a single hero.
3. Strengthening national and scientific pride: the smart idea of launching a bio-capsule and referring to Iran's aerospace knowledge enriches the native self-confidence in the audience.