A flash of Concord’s FilmFest

As the term was drawing to a close, Concord held its annual House Film Festival on 9th April. The four ‘houses’ (Gandhi, Mandela, Pankhurst, and Teresa) had been committed to creating these short films throughout the term, and I know, firsthand, that hours and hours of work had been put into creating the most entertaining 5 or 6 minutes. As you walked into the theatre that night, you could tell that people were excited to find out which house would come out on top.

While all the houses had to include the line “You mean they never told you the tale?” and a neon coloured beanie, the final products were all completely different and full of creativity. There was certainly a range of genres and a range of messages delivered.

Gandhi kicked the night off with an unexpected ‘horror comedy’ about ‘AtHoc’ – Concord’s safeguarding app, and showcased Mr Kerslake’s dramatic flair. You could tell there was tension rising throughout the film. Whether they were looking at  Mr Weaver’s cupcakes or ominous masked figures, the audience’s attention was undivided.

Mandela delivered an uplifting message on positivity with hyperbolic characters that represented modern ‘millennial’ problems like depression, laziness, binge eating and internet dependence and ended with a flash mob that made the audience want to jump out of their seats and dance too.

Pankhurst took an alternative route with a dystopia where everyone is treated differently based on their grades and hinted at some social commentary on how everyone prioritises grades, and how students are under massive amounts of pressure these days. With this, they also had multiple ‘laugh out loud’ moments that rippled through the audience.

Teresa did a documentary-type film where they highlighted the importance of friendship and courage. It involved interviews with teachers and students and highlighted the unity of the house and the Concord community. It closed the show with the audience being reminded that someone is always there for them and that they are truly, wonderfully loved.

At the end of the day, these films are a way for Concord students to not think about upcoming trials for a second and just do things they enjoy and express themselves. I remember the feeling of satisfaction and excitement when a scene was edited, looked exactly as how the directors visioned it and was shared to our House Film WhatsApp group. People replied with “THAT LOOKS SO COOL” and various “OH MY GOD”s, and honestly – trophy or not – nothing could beat that feeling throughout this whole house film journey.

Annelie – 6.1

House Triathlon – My Experience

It was a sunny, quiet day. Students were enjoying an afternoon off and it was warm and pleasant outside… Well, definitely not at Concord College. The Inter-House Triathlon competition was met with intense, freezing cold wind and drizzle. But it takes more than that to break the spirits of the Concordians. Over 200 competitors, made up of 60 teams and 35 individual runners, cyclists and swimmers were determined to win and bring the victory to their ‘houses’.

Even though it was a compulsory event for the Form 3 and Form 4 students to participate in, some of them chose to run/cycle/swim twice, and, by the looks on their faces and their clothes – that were completely covered in mud after cycling – this proved that they were not going to give up easily.

Personally, I chose to compete in a team and I did the running part of the event. The tremendous amount of support coming from both the Heads of Houses and students, who were waiting for the runners by the finishing line, proved to be a vital incentive. In particular, I would like to commend Mr Arthur for his support for the runners and cyclists. His vivid blue flag, just like his shouts of support and cheering, could be seen and heard at any point of the Hall Meadow.

I really enjoyed the triathlon event even though I could not feel my legs the next day, but it’s the sensation of contributing to the House and the strength of the team spirit that I will remember for a long time. Totally worth it!

Danylo – 6.1