Changeover, The (ATOM Study Guide for New Zealand)

Laura loses her little brother Jacko in earthquake-scarred Christchurch. An old man Carmody Braque marks the child's hand with a stamp. Jacko sickens quickly while the man grows younger. The doctors insist Jacko needs a bone marrow transplant — and Laura is the only donor. But Laura becomes convinced a mysterious older boy can help her 'change over' and become a witch, defeating the evil spirit sucking the life out of her brother. In terms of narrative, the supernatural thriller genre is primary, but in terms of its theme – change and growth – it is the romance and coming-of- age genres that resonate. The Changeover grounds the fantasy in the real world of post earthquake Christchurch, in order to illuminate the magic and meaning of everyday life. Naturalism is The Changeover's 'special effect'.

Curriculum Links

The resource you find here is a compilation of resources for teachers of Media, Drama and English ranging from one off exercises to a whole unit plan. Links have been made to some relevant Achievement Objectives from the three curriculum areas, but there are many crossovers and ways to adapt these resources to suit the needs of your specific unit and curriculum focus or level of learning.

Learning context could easily extend to include Social Studies or History, with the film set amongst the Canterbury Earthquakes. The Changeover (2017) film adaptation could be used as a:

• A stand-alone film study
• An intro for devising
• An intro or foundation for process drama
• A comparative study looking at text to film
• An intro to a project study on living in earthquakes
• A genre study – supernatural thriller