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Dangle

Phil Traill, 2003

A young man goes for a walk in the hills and, while high above the city, he notices a rope dangling from the sky. His initial caution quickly turns to curiosity, and he cannot resist pulling it, fascinated by his discovery of what the cord does. Delighted, he pulls the cord repeatedly…but what happens when he doesn’t know when to stop?

Clip Details

Genre: Drama

Country of Origin: UK

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

Clip Length: 06:00

Age Group: P5-P7

Classroom Activities

  • Watch the first minute of the film with the man walking up the hill. What time of day and year is it? What do we learn about the man?
  • Stop at each stage of the film and predict the next event (e.g. after 00:11, 01:23, 02:10, 02:39).
  • At 04:00, listen for 30 seconds to the sound without looking at the pictures: pause and discuss what could be happening, based on the sounds.
  • What do we think is happening at the end of the film? What might happen next? Why do we think this?
  • There is very little sound in the film. Count how many sounds you can hear. Where is the sound coming from? What is the last sound you hear? How does this make you feel?
  • Study the use of close up and long shots in the film and discuss how they are used to show how the man is feeling at different points in the story.
  • Look at the different times when the flex is included in the shots. Where is the camera at these times? Why?
  • Discuss editing. How have the filmmakers made the cut from day to night so quickly? Count how many cuts there are from day to night.
  • Examine how the man’s feeling and reactions are charted throughout the film. Freeze frame the film at different points and discuss what the man is feeling and we know that from his actions and reactions.
  • In many stories, ‘dark’ is used to symbolise something frightening or dangerous. List other stories that use this symbol.
  • Discuss the meanings of the word ‘power’.
  • Talk about night-time and the coming of darkness. Let children recount their feelings about the night.
  • Discuss what might be happening in other parts of the city/country/world each time the man pulls on the light cord.
  • Develop a moodboard with film images around the themes of light, darkness and curiosity.
  • Create or source music to create a soundtrack for the film.

Clip Details

Genre: Drama

Country of Origin: UK

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

Clip Length: 06:00

Education Level: Second Level