Most Beautiful Man in the World, The — Alicia Duffy, 2002
Lacey is a young girl who is bored and dreams of a life beyond what she knows. One day she ventures further than she has ever gone before and meets a mysterious stranger. They seem to connect, but the mood changes when he sees the girl’s mother looking on with suspicion from their house.
This dream-like short is intentionally ambiguous: is it an innocent encounter or perhaps something more sinister?
Classroom Activities
Print All- Critical
- Cultural
- Creative
- Clip Details
Critical
- Based on what you see in the first shot, what impression do you have of Lacey?
- What does the use of diegetic sounds have on this short film?
- What impact does the lack of non-diegetic sounds have on the film and its overall feel?
- Editing: discuss how the editing shows us what life is like for Lacey.
- Describe the colour in the film and what this does for the overall style. How do the colours change when Lacey meets the stranger?
- Discuss the use of close ups and long shots when we are being shown Lacey’s world and what this shows the audience.
- How do the shots used when Lacey meets the stranger (03:10 – 03:35) tell us how she feels in that moment?
- What genre do you think this film belongs to? Why you think this?
Cultural
- Who do you think the man was?
- Would you have let Lacey wander off into the field? Discuss with a partner or have a class debate. Try arguing the opposite side to what you think for deeper critical thinking!
- Why do you think Lacey was not scared of the man?
- Where do you think this film was filmed/ set? Why? Why was it set there?
- Who do you think this film was made for? Discuss who you think this was aimed at and why?
- What would you have done if you were Lacey’s mum and why? Compare your thoughts with a partner.
Creative
WRITE
- What is Lacey thinking? Write an inner monologue as if you are Lacey describing how she is feeling.
DRAMA
- What do you think happened when Lacey got inside? Write out a script for or role-play the conversation she might have had with her mum.
SOCIAL SUBJECTS
- Make a travel show, showing us some of the best places to visit in your area if you are looking for fun activities to do.
MUSIC
- Add a soundtrack to the film. Why did you choose these songs/this music?
HEALTH AND WELLBEING
- What do you when you are bored? Make a brochure for some of your top tips in beating boredom.
- What should you do if a stranger approaches you in public? Make a poster outlining the dangers of talking to strangers.
- Mind map ways in which children can be exposed to grooming and child abuse.
Clip Details
| Record Id | 007-002-000-045-C |
|---|---|
| Resource Rights Holder | Breakthru Films Ltd. |
| Project Ref | MVS-06 |
| Year of Production | 2002 |
| Genre | Drama |
| Curriculum Areas | Expressive Arts, Literacy and English, Religious and Moral Education |
| Director | Alicia Duffy |
| Country of Origin | UK |
| Medium / Content | Live Action, Fiction, Colour, Sound |
| Themes | Feelings, Relationships, Loss / Memories, Danger / Fear, Culture / Society, Identity / Self, Intolerance / Misconceptions |
| Clip Length | 05:00 |
| Clip Length | 05:00 |
| Age Group | S1-S3, S4-S6 |
