Once Bitten (ATOM Study Guide)

Australian–New Zealand co-production Once Bitten is a two-part series looking at the complicated ways in which we live and love in the twenty-first century. Four brave families invite us into their homes and lives as they negotiate second-time round relationships and the challenges, risks and opportunities they bring. Marriage and family are at the heart of our society, but the forms they take are constantly shifting. The families we meet here are diverse, patchwork affairs, with step-children, half siblings, in-laws, difficult ex-partners, court orders, co-parenting arrangements, mixed cultural and religious backgrounds ... This is modern family life and these are the difficult and fascinating stories so many of us are living day to day. There is pain, frustration and grief here, but Once Bitten is ultimately about hope and resilience and the bonds that give our life meaning. Like the best observational documentaries, it explores and illuminates a phenomenon that is taking place all around us – and that deserves our rapt attention.

Once Bitten is an entertaining and engaging two-part series (each episode is fifty-two minutes), which provides a forum for discussing our experiences of family life and personal identity. It allows us to explore the skills we all need to thrive in our emotional lives, to navigate complex relationships and difficult times. This material is relevant to every student, regardless of the particular set-up of their family; everyone should have something to say! The series has relevance to all secondary school year levels, and could be utilised in the Key Learning Areas of English, SOSE, Health, and Psychology. It could also play a useful part in counselling sessions or adult education/life skills contexts. Each episode can be screened separately and in part.