WINKY’S HORSE (2005)

Netherlands/Belgium, 96 minutes,
Language: Dutch with English subtitles,
Directed by Mischa Kamp

Genre Feature Film

Synopsis

When young Winky Wong first moves to the Netherlands from China, there are many things to be learnt. At first Winky finds it difficult to fit in at school, but when she meets a beautiful little horse one day, she feels she has a friend. But Winky’s Mother must go away to visit her ill Grandmother in China, Winky learns that all things must come to an end. A heart-warming story about love, immigration and compromise which chronicles the hilarity of an immigrant’s first Christmas.

Key Themes

Immigration
Hope
Determination
Compromise
Christmas

Main Characters

Winky Wong – young Winky moves from China to the Netherlands. She helps out at her father’s restaurant and likes riding her bike… that is until she finds a horse!

Winky’s Father – owns the King’s Garden restaurant.

Winky’s Mother – must go back to China when Winky’s grandmother gets sick.

Samid – the boy who makes deliveries for Winky’s father’s restuarant.

Aunt Cor – Cor Jaarsma, the lady who owns the stable and horses not far from Winky’s house.

Uncle Siem – Aunt Cor’s husband.

Maaike – a young girl in Winky’s class. Maaike likes both barbie dolls and horses, and Winky and Maaike soon become good friends.

Teacher – the teacher in Winky’s class who shows Winky how to write her name in Dutch, and helps the entire class get ready to greet Saint Nicholas.

Sofie – the young next door neighbour to the Wongs, and Samir’s girlfriend.

Before the Film

• Before beginning the film, ask yourself what type of film you are watching: this is called the genre. Genre means style of film. For example, is the film a feature film (a long film which tells one main story), a short film (usually from a few minutes to half an hour), a documentary or an animation?

• Ask yourself what the title of the film might mean: speculate as to why the filmmakers would have chosen the specific title. After watching the film, try to make sense of the title in context to the film. Compare your understandings about the meaning of the title before and after watching the film.

• Films use lighting, sound, different angles, movement, sequence and timing to convey meaning. Remember to keep these aspects in mind the following when watching a film.

Things to Think and Talk About Post-Screening

• A lot of music was used in Winky’s Horse: some was music with Mandarin lyrics, but at other times the music was more symphonic. There was also much singing by both the school class, and by Winky (when she was waiting for Pete to come down the chimney). What type of mood did the music create? Did it remind you of something? Did you notice certain points when the music played? Did it enhance your feeling or closeness to the character? Or did you feel it imposed an atmosphere that was unnatural to the scene?

• There were a wide range of characters in Winky’s Horse: it was easy to sympathise with Winky, easy to adore Saartje and easy to get mad at Joris! However, most of the characters didn’t change throughout the film. Did you find their static quality unrealistic and boring? Or did you find it made them stronger characters that were true to their natures and beliefs?

• Winky’s Horse uses very strong colours. Winky is often boldly wearing yellow, red or blue. In her house the colours are contrasted very strongly as well, most frequently greens and reds. The filmmakers incorporated two different themes with these colours: the hues of red and green in Winky’s house were typically Asian and portrayed this aspect of her life; the second is that the story is centred around Christmas time, so although these weren’t the traditional red and greens of a northern Christmas, they still hinted at Christmastime. What do you think of this effect?

• List three characters you wish you had better insight into. Explain why and at which points in the film you would have liked to “see through their eyes”.

Questions and Discussion Topics

• What were the main themes of the film? Use examples from the film to demonstrate at least three major themes. Did you find any of these themes particularly important to you personally? Why or why not.

• What do you think the most important scene of the film was? What made it so powerful? Describe why you think it was important as well as what techniques were used to create and emphasize its importance: narrative, action, music, sound, lighting, camera work, framing and editing should be considered.

• If you had to eliminate one scene from the film, which would it be? Why would you choose that scene? What do you think would be lost from or change in the film by eliminating that theme?

• What scene was your particular favourite? Briefly describe what you thought the funniest, scariest and saddest scenes in the film were, and what made them this way.

• If you were to recommend Winky’s Horse to a friend, why would you recommend it and what would you tell them?

Exercises/Activities

• Write a review of the film, 300-400 words long.

• Create a storyboard to the next scene after the film ended. What happened to the characters? Pick at least three characters and describe what happens to them afterward.

• Write a letter from the point of view of one character to that of another.

• Think of another film (or book) with similar themes and compare how the two films examined the issue and dealt with the issue. Were they similar or did they treat the issue very differently? Which film did you think better represented the theme/issue?

• Write about the film as if it were an event in a newspaper, a fairy tale or myth, or a personal diary of events that had happened to you!

• Draw a map of what you think the location might have looked like.

• Make a character sketch explaining how their appearance represents their character.

• Create a scene broken down into a sequence of six (6) pictures.