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6:1

Sergei Ryabov, 2018

A girl and a cat are on a train, playing draughts. The girl is reading a book at the same time and seems hardly interested in the game, while the cat concentrates fiercely on every move. Can the cat win?

Clip Details

Genre: Comedy

Country of Origin: Russia

Medium/Content: 3D Animation, Colour, Sound

Clip Length: 02:53

Age Group: P5-P7, P1-P4

Classroom Activities

  • Before watching, consider the title. What does this mean? What kind of story might this be?
  • Listen to the film without watching it. What can pupils tell about the story, setting and characters from the sounds they hear?
  • The film maker uses many medium shots and extreme close-ups. How do these help to tell the story?
  • Consider the role of the setting: how does this affect the story?
  • How do the music and other sound effects help to tell the story?
  • Why does it go dark at 1m 38 sec? Is this in any way symbolic?
  • How does the attitude of the little girl change in the story?
  • In this film, the cat is cast in the role of the underdog, who wins the game against the odds. Compare this film with other underdog stories. What would be the genre markers of this type of film? How does this film compare with the others? What are the similarities and differences?
  • Consider fairness. Is it cheating if the cat only won because the pieces moved with the movement of the train? Or does it serve the girl right for not taking the game seriously? Is it ever okay to cheat?

Write the screenplay for an underdog story or winning against the odds.

Watch examples of trailers for underdog stories and consider the persuasive techniques used. Apply these to script/storyboard a trailer for this film.

Clip Details

Genre: Comedy

Country of Origin: Russia

Medium/Content: 3D Animation, Colour, Sound

Clip Length: 02:53

Education Level: Early Years