CHAPTER ONE AT THE HUTONG

The Hutong is a quaint Cultural Exchange Centre South of Yonghegong (Lama Temple).
About 12 people came along to the first screening titled 'No Fear of Flying'.
As we waited for the audience to arrive introductions circled through the group.
People from South Africa, China, France, Greece and Australia drank tea and watched the film.
Jennifer offers a very indepth educational guide to the film and the six Chapters, available on her website.
Discussion Sparks throughout the guide ask questions with respect to issues, situations and aspects of the film.
After reading the Brief I posed my own questions.

Jennifer refers to her father as being 'Free'. He left the house everyday and did the things he wanted to do, whereas her mother with five children was tied to the washing machine and domestic duties.

Jennifer wanted to be like her father, to be 'free'.

I asked: "What is freedom? Is one ever 'truly free' of any commitments?

The discussion went around with input from various of the women. Freedom is having choice, to be able to make choices and decisions about ones own life. Although commitments in many forms exist, even for the single mid career woman, she can choose to stay with a commitment or not. Freedom is not necessarily being or not being married or in a relationship, it is often within the person and having an attitude to make their own choices. Freedom was described as perhaps being in the sky in a plane OR like a bird that can 'take off' and go wherever it chooses. One woman wish to travel to experience life in other countries with other cultures and thought she would not marry until later. she married at 23 but decided not to have children because of her wish to travel. Her husband asked why then did she marry which made her stop and decide that marriage also did not fit into her plans.