Sometimes Inaccuracy is Okay

While looking for fact pages and interactive websites to share with kids, I found quite a few interesting things. As usual there are numerous fact based websites that can be shared with kids such as About that we have used here before. Additionally, however, there are some interesting new sites like EBK for Kids, a British site I used to use when teaching history while I was a teacher; KidzSearch, an encyclopedia for kids; and Sheppard Software's online encyclopedia. One thing that came up that may be fun to watch, but is not at all scientifically accurate, is a Fox Searchlight film (i.e. semi-independent) called Beasts of the Southern Wild. An interview with one of the directors revealed this wonderful quote pertaining to the Aurochs shown in the film:

Right. They didn’t go extinct till the 17th century.

So we were factually inaccurate on multiple levels.

I honestly have no issue with this admission. The fact that the directors knew that the Aurochs in their film were not accurate (they used pot-bellied pigs wearing muskrat, or nutria, skins) makes the film a little more credible. The directors admit that they were going for their vision of the story and not scientific accuracy, which is respectable, but requires either an educated audience that will know the difference between science fact and interpreted fantasy or an audience that knows nothing about the animal and does not care. I enjoy movies for movies when I know that the accuracy is not supposed to be completely scientifically supported, and this movie certainly qualifies for that category. Try to enjoy it if you watch it this weekend.