We all deal with death and grief in different ways. Despite being best friends, Chester can’t face going to Mapplethorpe’s funeral. Instead, he visits Crazy Fun Park, where he discovers that his friend has become one of the undead Fun Kids.

Imagine that Chester did attend the funeral. Write a eulogy by him for Mapplethorpe. Consider the pair’s history, friendship, shared interests, dreams for the future etc. Include an image of the pair you think represents their friendship.

Definition:

Eulogy: a piece of writing or a speech that pays tribute to someone who has just died. Eulogies often include memories, stories of the person, poems, quotes, photos and video.

The best characters in books and on screen are the ones we believe are real people. To create believable characters, writers and directors need to imagine them as real people — with families, friends, histories, dreams, fears, secrets, likes and dislikes, and so on. As the reader or viewer, we don’t see all this backstory, but it’s there, driving the way characters behave, their beliefs, and the decisions they make — moving them forward through the story.

Remus is the charismatic and a little bit scary ruler of the Netherworld. He’s angry and unpredictable. The Fun Kids are drawn to him because he radiates danger, fun, and adventure. Remus also has a secret …

Use the image of Remus below or choose another image to analyse and create a backstory for him. Who is Remus?

1. First, imagine you’ve seen Remus on the street. Describe his physical appearance — his clothes, facial expressions, body language, the way he walks, his voice and any unique physical qualities.
2. Second, imagine you’re Remus’ friend. Describe his age, gender, education level, parents, siblings, friends, pets, nationality and year level at school.
3. Lastly, imagine you are Remus. Describe his dreams, fears, best and worst memories, most embarrassing moment, the thing he wants most in the world, his deepest sadness, and his secret.
4. Compare your version of Remus with a partner. What similarities and differences do the two versions have?

Definition:

Backstory: the background or history created for a fictional character in a television program, film, or book.

Grief and friendship are two major themes underpinning Crazy Fun Park. They help shape the characters’ experiences and the overall story. Grief and friendship drive Chester to the park after Mapplethorpe dies and keep him going back there throughout the series.

In the following clips, we see a young person coming to terms with the loss of his best friend. View the clips and analyse how the director uses the following elements to represent grief and/or friendship :

• Lighting
• Dialogue
• Sound (music and SFX), and
• Acting.

Definition:

Theme: an idea that repeats or runs through a film, television program or series, work of art, or literature.

Violetta is strong-willed, spiky, fiercely intelligent, and witty. She has a Japanese-Australian background and lives with her father who runs the local funeral parlour. After Mapplethorpe dies, she becomes Chester’s only confidante in the real world.

In the following scene, Violetta struggles to know how to comfort Chester after Mapplethorpe’s sudden death. When she seeks her father’s advice he tells her everyone has their own way of dealing with death, before describing his own experience:

‘We come from a long line of nōkanshi … When I was a boy attitudes were very different. Some thought we were unclean and polluted by our work…’ her father says.

Every culture has its own method of farewelling the dead. Research then describe traditional Japanese funerals, using the following questions to guide you:

1. What is a nōkanshi?
2. What types of rituals do they perform?
3. What role do they play in Japanese culture?
4. Reflect on the similarities and differences between Japanese funerals and funerals from your own culture. What are the similarities and differences?

Definition:

Nōkanshi: a Japanese undertaker. A nōkanshi is responsible for handling a deceased person’s remains. Engaging in the ancient practice of nōkan, a nōkanshi cleans and prepares bodies for their funeral rites.