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Little Things, The

Reina Webster, 2004

George is alone on her fourteenth birthday, having been rejected by her mother and chased out of the local mall by security. Miserable and lonely, she invites her six-year-old neighbour to come round for cake and bourbon. On discovering it’s her birthday, Tama carries out a simple act of kindness that breaks through George’s defences: it’s the little things that count.

 

Clip Details

Genre: Drama

Country of Origin: New Zealand

Medium/Content: Colour, Sound, Live Action, Fiction

Clip Length: 12:00

Age Group: S4-S6

Classroom Activities

  • Before watching, ask what pupils think the film will be about. Encourage predictions and explanations. Watch the opening sequence. Do the predictions change?
  • How many times and in how many ways do we hear the ‘Happy Birthday’ tune? What effect does the tune have on George and on us as viewers?
  • Play the first minute of the film. What devices have been used to mark George as the main protagonist? (For instance, draw out that the camera follows George; she sits higher in the frame than the other girl, who sits on a crate; the camera takes George's point of view, looking down on her friend; we see close-ups of George but not her friend).
  • Watch the film up to where George flings her skirt onto the washing line. Pause it there. Ask the class, in pairs, to list the devices used to demonstrate the girl’s isolation. Look for different shot types, composition and story events.
  • Watch the sequence at the washing line. We see four different shots: a long shot of the girl; the view from the balcony; a close-up of the girl; and the view up to the man. Discuss why the filmmaker chose those shots, in that sequence. You could let pupils think of questions they would ask the director to help them find the answer(s), and then choose one student to role-play the director in the hot-seat.
  • Look in detail at the four main locations: the yard; the house; the mall; the record shop. Discuss how does each location contributes to the development of the narrative.
  • Does this film remind you of similar experiences in your own life?
  • How important is shopping to modern life?
  • How important is music to you?
  • List the little things in life that you value; list three things that you talk about with friends.
  • Watch the pre-title opening sequence. Ask students how this compares with their own experience of spending time with friends.
  • Discuss feelings of loneliness and sadness.
  • Play the whole film to the end. Then ask pupils to write one sentence explaining what the film is about.
  • Write and film a special report for a feature in a news broadcast (TV or radio). Plan and direct the news broadcast and decide on what methods would be appropriate to reach a chosen target audience.
  • Ask pupils to list the places they go to/spend time with their friends; how they would describe these places in terms of the music and environment. Then ask how they would film one of the places. Consider time of day, weather, camera positions, perspectives, movement and sound - diegetic and non-diegetic. Ask students to write the words and phrases on sticky notes to make a word wall for future use.

Clip Details

Genre: Drama

Country of Origin: New Zealand

Medium/Content: Colour, Sound, Live Action, Fiction

Clip Length: 12:00

Education Level: Senior Phase