The earliest forms of writing have been found in Uruk in Mesopotamia. At first, as in other places, simple pictures were used in Uruk to represent things. The meaning of pictograms is quite obvious.

Subsequently, a link became established between spoken language and pictograms which led eventually to alphabet-based written languages. Parallel to the use of simple pictures as a written version of that which the represent, the pictures became a representation of the sound corresponding to that thing.

If we apply this principle in English, a spoken word such as “terrace” could be written with the pictures for “tear” and “ace”, or “factory” could be written with the pictures for “fact” and “tree” if they were available. In the cuneiform script, syllable sounds were used by scribes in texts together with word signs to enable them to “render human speech effectively in their script” (Michael Roaf, “Cultural Atlas of Mesopotamia” p70). Pictograms came increasingly to represent sounds rather than things.

The step from syllables to smaller sound elements was not far off. Extra filler characters would have become necessary in combination with syllable sounds where a pictogram was not available. Syllable signs broke down into their sound elements.

Word signs have fallen out of usage by and large in alphabet-based languages except in playful contexts: . Snaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaake

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Three films on one day - “Das Suchen und Finden der Liebe”, “Der Fischer und seine Frau” and “Kein Lieder über Liebe” - emphasise the struggle to construct a life and love in adverse conditions. The challenge to free oneself from the negative modelling of a previous generation who are trapped in their self-centred needs, leeching onto others while neglecting their parenting roles. The model of the 1950s  has now returned to domination, to have children and hope others will look after them, then return to the children for emotional and existential support when all else fails. The films show how the failed lives of others becomes a burden on the next generation when they are seeking to create new relationships for themselves and free themselves from the failures of the past.

The additional factor of finding and maintaining love despite yourself is also explored showing a range of alternatives.

These films are high quality explorations of relationships – a genre rarely seen in Australian acquisitive culture.

Etymology of popular.

The Latin word for army is "populus" coming from the verb "populari", meaning "to plunder". When the army got to vote on political matters under Servius Tullius the word for army "came to designate the body politic" ('Ancient Rome', Christopher Mackay).

Hence the modern words 'population', 'popularity', etc are derivatives of plunder. So when the army goes into foreign countries to secure resources in the name of the people and supported by popular opinion, the etymological roots of popularism should become obvious.