Most Beautiful Man in the World, The

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 their encounter innocent, or perhaps something more sinister?

Clip Details

Genre: Drama

Record ID: 007-002-000-045-C

Project Ref: MVS-06

Curriculum Area: Literacy and English, Expressive Arts, Religious and Moral Education

Country of Origin: UK

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

Themes: Culture/Society, Danger/Fear, Feelings, Identify/Self, Intolerance/Misconceptions, Loss/Memories, Relationships

Clip Length: 05:00

Age Group: S1-S3, S4-S6

Classroom Activities

01 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?

02 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.

03 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.