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Bémol

Oana Lacroix, 2021

Animals in the forest awaken every morning to the beautiful singing of a cheery bird - it calms grumpy baby bears, quarrelling squirrels, and bickering swans. But one morning there is no song, and the animals discover the bird has fallen ill.

Without her wonderful melody to keep them all calm, they fall out over the best way to help. By sharing their warmth and love, will they be able to help the little bird sing again?

Clip Details

Genre: Adventure

Country of Origin: Switzerland

Medium/Content: Colour, Sound, Fiction, No Dialogue, 2D Animation

Clip Length: 05:47

Age Group: P1-P4

Classroom Activities

  • Who is in the story? Which characters are really important? Which characters could be removed for the story to still make sense? Which characters shouldn’t be removed?
  • What is the story telling us? Is there a message? If so, what? How do we know this, what evidence do we have?
  • Where is the story set (country/place/time)? Does this matter? Would the story have to change if it was underwater/in Antarctica/a desert/on a ship/in school etc? How would that affect the story? Could the story be the same? What would have to change?
  • The title of the film is Bemól. It is a French musical word that means “flat”. What different meanings does flat have? Why do you think the director called it this? Again, what evidence is there to support this?
  • Play the film with a different soundtrack. Mute the film, start it playing, then in a separate browser tab play your track, then go back and click to watch film full screen. Does it make a difference? How does the mood of the film change? What words would you use to describe it? Soundtrack alternatives include: Nothing Else Matters, The Swan, Mars or Wayward Son (Click on the link for each track, they are set up to start at the correct point). Choose one or two that are appropriate for your pupils.
  • Discuss, and then make a list, of the people who help us in our lives.
  • What do we do in the class to help others? What things does the teacher do? Why should we help others?
  • Make a list of the things that make you happy. This could be a mixture of physical things (favourite teddy etc.) and experiences (hugging parent/carer, visit to the zoo etc.)
  • Watch from 00:54 and pause at 01:11. What reasons does the bird have for being sad? How can you tell? What makes him/her different? Does this effect the story later on?
  • In pairs, find 10 things that makes you different from your partner. Then find 10 similarities. Are differences a positive or negative thing? Why? What would happen if we were all the same? What if everyone was just as good as each other at football, swimming or maths. Would there be pros and cons?
  • How is the bird different from the other birds? Make two lists with the pros and cons of the bird being different.
  • In the film, the bird finds it difficult to make friends with the other birds, but has a variety of other friends including the squirrels, bears, swans etc. Think of friends you have where you have some different interests. Why don't different interests make friendships problematic?
  • Create a story that has the same plot (someone makes other characters happy, something happens to them to prevent this, everyone helps them) either using the same characters but a different main character, or a different set of characters entirely.
  • Create/design a new character for the story. The character must fit within the scene and the current characters and feel part of the story.

Clip Details

Genre: Adventure

Country of Origin: Switzerland

Medium/Content: Colour, Sound, Fiction, No Dialogue, 2D Animation

Clip Length: 05:47

Education Level: Early Years