1. AVATAR

2. © Avatar Trailer (2009)

3. OVERVIEW
By: Hernestina Estrada
Industrialization and pollution it is all around us, some of us do not seem to realize how bad it has really
gotten. After researching I found that there is such bad air pollution in some countries, that they are
required to wear masks. Ocean pollution is another area that is affected, especially to fishes and birds, we
have people dumping out garbage’s in the water not realizing the damages that it is causing. It not only
effects fishes but it also effects humans.
Our topic, Industrialization and Pollution is connected to the movie Avatar in more ways than one.
Although this film expressed the humans concern of not being able to breath the air on Pandora, the real
message is about our pollution as humans that we brought to their planet. All the industrialization and
pollution did not even compare the damage that the tribes and people of Pandora had to endure. The
human race in this film was attempting to get something from the land no matter the cost. They also
didn’t express concern with what machinery they had to use to get it. This film was written, created and
directed by James Cameron and is a great example of the future of industrialization and where we might
be able to take it. In this film Jack Sully took the place of his brother to study avatar, a program on
another planet. Taking his deceased brother’s place, Sully a former US Marine who is paralyzed agreed to
the position. While there, Jack continually enters into a deep sleep called cryo sleep, this allows Jake to join
up with his Avatar body and enter into the world of the Na’vi tribe. While gaining their trust Jack is
reporting back to Parker and Quaritch, the two main people that would harm the tribe to get to the source
of their power, Eywa. Seeing that Parker and Quaritch don’t mind hurting the tribe in the process Jake
tries his best to fight for the Na’vi people and what they believe in.

4. CONTRIBUTIONS
• HERNESTINA ESTRADA
OVERVIEW AND INTRODUCTION TOPIC
• FARES DHIAB
INTRODUCTION TO FILM
• NICOLE WOOLDRIDGE
VIDEO CLIP/ LINK & SLIDE SHOW
• MICHAEL FABER
QUESTIONS/ASWERS ,CULTURAL ASPECTS

5. INTRODUCTION
By: Fares Dhiab

6. Ethical Messages
By: Fares Dhiab
‘ I'm not trying to make people feel guilty.. I just want them to internalize a sense of respect and a sense of taking
responsibility for the stewardship of the earth.. and I think this film can do that by creating an emotional reaction’
• Effectively, Avatar is not simply a
• As we visualize the movie we can see
metaphor for how people are
that Cameron had pictured the
expected to behave with each other
Pandora as what our world was like
on mother earth or an allegory for before we started to pave it by building
wide-ranging ecological destruction. malls and huge skyscrapers, disclosing
Avatar is also a cautionary tale, that the very naked way to bulldoze a forest
pushes the boundary of moral and take the minerals of the
concern demanding that we indigenous, something that doesn‟t
consider the well being of humans, belong to us, and not even feel bad
creatures and communities that are about it.
not the same. • Some people assimilated the film‟s
• Jake Sully, the main character, who depiction of destructive corporate
took on an alternative life form as mining for unobtanium in the Na‟vi
an Avatar will enlighten us about lands with mining of uranium in New
the values treated in this movie Mexico and many other disasters.
through his fantastical journey to
the planet, Pandora.

7. James Cameron‟s subtle way of communicating the respect
we should be showing our own mother, Earth
• Avatar vividly depicts the concept of inter- • Cameron has also sensitized people about
species cooperation with the Na‟vi and their giving thanks and caring about creatures
relationships with other species on the that are non humans Effectively, the na‟vi
planet. Even some of the predators gave would thank animals for their lives,
help and showed solidarity when the entire acknowledged their need for these creatures
planet was endangered. Here, Cameron but never took them for granted. This
hoped that Avatar will make audiences pushes us to be more respectful to our non
become warriors and active defenders of our majestic world animals by trying to avoid
planet. products such as fur or leather.
• Avatar had also put an accent on how the
Na‟vi have an intimate connections between
• Finally, the trick here is to find sustainable
themselves, with animals and with their
resources and minimize the waste. We must
ancestors. The wisdom of the past gave
always consider the ecosystem as a whole
them the ability to make wise decisions that
and consider the consequences of our
allowed them to live harmoniously with
actions as we consume on a daily basis.
their surroundings, something that we
should definitely do to protect our planet.

8. Political Themes
By: Fares Dhiab
James Cameron appointed first the imperialism.
Effectively, the attack on the Na‟vi people of Pandora for minerals has been assimilated
to the people who have more military or technological means tend to destroy weaker
people for their resources. The movie is a clear message about dominant aggressive
cultures subjugating native population in a quest for resources. Some writers
compared the struggle of the Na‟vi that were assimilated to savages primitives and
uncivilized people like Palestinians and Israel to the human invaders preaching that
they are helping the poor while they are working for their own benefits. Cameron also
argued militarism in his movie. In fact, He wanted Americans to have a „moral
responsibility‟.

9. CULTURAL ASPECTS AND THEME
By: Michael Faber

10. Movies that may have
influenced the creation The different stories within
• Avatar is that of the stories of • Well actually it is several stories,
Tarzan and mostly of Pocahontas. for females there is the love story
The ends of the movies are between the two main characters,
different in Pocahontas and for males the story between the
Avatar, but the morals and basic
plots are very similar. Also Tarzan two men fighting for the love of
is very similar in that Tarzan has the woman, for plant lovers there
to choice between his people and is the very distinct argument of
being a human. I think James whether to save the planet or use
Cameron based this story on a lot the resources for other things, and
of this. Lastly, another film I see a of course for our sci-fi lovers we
lot of similarities is this and have this entire movie that is
Princess Mononoke, as spiritual based on another planet called
beings guide the main characters Pandora. This movie pretty much
to their successes and just the
naturist faith shown in both films. speaks to any audience.

11. The Avatar:
(Hindu) and James Cameron's interpretation of it.
Religions portrayed within the film:
1.Spiritual
2. Hindu
3. Kami (Japanese)
4. American Indian

12. RELIGIOUS ASPECTS
By: Nicole Wooldridge

13. The Na‟vi tribe of Pandora believe in a
higher being but not the same way we
may believe in God. The people of
Pandora share a very spiritual
connection between themselves and the
living plants and animals around them.
Their unconditional faith is devoted to
their “All-Mother” or Eywa. Eywa is
more like an energy of all the living and
non-living things on Pandora and
considering Grace‟s statement (head
scientist of Avatar program) Eywa is the
tribes of Pandora‟s life force. Along with
the belief in their all mother the Na‟vi
tribe also believe in what seems more
like a Japanese, or American Indian
tradition. The Na‟vi people believe in
one person being able to connect them
mind and spirit to Eywa. This person in
the Na‟vi tribe is their Tsa‟hik.

14. STORYLINE
By: Michael Faber

15. Jake, allowing himself to become an
avatar not just in body but in soul too
winds up with more than he bargained
for. Getting lost in the woods on his first
outing into the wilderness of Pandora,
Jake is soon found by Neytiri. She takes
him to her father and the Na‟Vi people
who allow him to learn their ways. Neytiri
begins to teach him not just their way of
life but how they learn to live with their
environment. Although Jake is learning
slowly and in the beginning fails, his
respect for the Na‟vi people is gaining.
Jake finally gets the hang of being a Na‟vi
and bonds with his first ikran
The humans are pushed by colonel miles
and they attach the Na‟Vi people putting
Jake in a tough spot. Does he fight for the
woman he loves and the people he now
respects or the race he has always known
and been a part of.

16. Jake is exiled by both races and decides
that in order to earn the trust of the
Na‟vi people again he needs to do
something to warn them of the war that
is about to take place against the Na‟vi
people. After getting help from his own
race he then captures the great toruk.
Who ever connects with the Toruk is
considered to be all powerful and mighty
for the Na‟vi. Once acquiring the Toruk
the Na‟vi people‟s trust again, and they
prepare for battle and unite the different
tribes of Pandora against the human
race.
War rages and the Na‟vi people are
losing until the animals of Pandora come
and save the day with the help of Awa
their version of Mother Earth that
means much more having to do with the
souls of Pandora.

17. In The End
Jake is invited to join the Na‟vi
people after helping save them and
Pandora from the human race. The
humans are forced to leave Pandora
and to never return.
Knowing that Jake could never be as
his counterpart in the avatar body,
the Na‟vi people present him to Awa
as they try to get his soul to pass
through Awa and return to his
avatar body for good. The movie
ends with Jake‟s eyes opening in his
avatar body allowing you to assume
that he made it alive and will take
his place among the people as ruler
and mate of Neytiri.

18. Characters
By: Michael Faber

19. Jake Sully
•Main character
•Ex-military, injured in action
which limits him to a wheelchair
for life
•Takes dead twin brother‟s place on
Pandora, allowing him to use the
avatar body
•Is the only avatar/human allowed
to join the Na‟vi people and learn
their ways
•Compassionate and courageous
Jake leads the Na‟vi people in a
fight against his own race

20. Colonel Miles
Quaritch
•MILITARY
•Strong, determined, selfish,
dominating, arrogant man
•Is in charge of the human forces
on Pandora
•Helps to initiate the war against
the Na‟vi people and wants to wipe
them out completely
•No morals or regret

21. Dr. Grace
•Head scientist of the avatar
program on Pandora
•Kind humanitarian that wants to
learn from the Na‟vi people
•Strong, smart, educated women.
Grace‟s role is very courageous
within the film. She often speaks
when she is not spoken too or
when the time is not appropriate
•Exact opposite from Colonel Miles
Quaritch. She wants to see the
Na‟vi people flourish and find an
easier more friendly way to live
together on Pandora

22. Neytiri
•Loving, strong, caring, Na‟vi
female
•Teaches/falls in love with Jake
sully
•Daughter of chief
•In a way she is a lot like
Pocahontas; teaching the land and
what it has to offer to the new
person
•Takes over and leads her people
when they are in need after her
father dies

23. Tsu’tey
•Strong, opinionated, future leader
of the Na‟vi
•Tsu‟tey is very courageous and will
fight for his people until death
•Is against Jake Sully joining their
people and is even more against
him when he mates with Neytiri as
she is his rightful mate and next in
line to take the throne
•Is the ultimate leader as he
forgives Jake sully and sacrifices
him self for his people

24. Types of Animation and how
waiting 10 years made it better
Capturing the true performance of
the actors would never have been
capable 10 years ago. Holding onto
the story until this day in age has
allowed James Cameron the
opportunity to create animation
thru human movement. Devices
created for actors to wear capturing
every facial movement and
allowing the true emotion to project
through the character onto the
screen just seems so effortless. This
truly is the modernization of
animation in our time.

25. THE MAKING OF AVATAR
Discovery Networks: The Making of Avatar (2009)

26. http://www.studentpulse.com/articles/298/qi-chi-in-james-camerons-avatar
http://screencrave.com/2009-12-11/avatar-movie-review/
http://cinefantastiqueonline.com/2009/12/avatar-probing-beyond-visuals-to-culture-
and-identity/
http://movies.nytimes.com/2009/12/18/movies/18avatar.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0
Avatar. James Cameron. 20th Century Fox, 2009. Film
http://www.youtube.com/v/YrWz2p0Vybg
http://www.youtube.com/v/1wK1Ixr-UmM&feature