Sister — Dominic Phillips, 2021
This short film centres around the familial relationships before and after the birth of a new baby. The first child Bernie initially enjoys all her parents’ attention baking, playing and building games. After the new baby comes home there is a definite shift in the dynamics. How will Bernie cope? Will she rise to the occasion? How will the situation be resolved?
Classroom Activities
Print All- Critical
- Cultural
- Creative
- Clip Details
Critical
- The film has no dialogue – why do you think that is?
- How would you describe the soundtrack?
- Look at the scenes before and after the baby’s arrival. How do they differ? Why is this?
- When is the turning point in Bernie’s relationship with the “new baby”? How does Bernie feel before the turning point? How does she feel afterwards?
- How does the new relationship make her feel? How does the director communicate this?
- What symbols does the director use to represent Bernie’s feelings and her new self-awareness?
Cultural
- What other films, TV show, novels, etc. can you think of that deal with sibling rivalry? What rivalries are there? Are they resolved positively?
- Compare this film to ‘Nits’ which deals with a different take on a sibling dealing with a pregnancy. What other complex feelings about parents being distracted are dealt with in this film?
- What kind of a person is Bernie? Why do you say that?
Creative
WRITE
- Imagine the conversation Bernie has with her parents when they tell her about the new baby. What do you think they would say? How would Bernie react? Write a transcript of this conversation.
- Do you have personal experience of the arrival of a new baby? How did you feel about it? How was your relationship with that sibling and how has it developed? Has the new arrival changed your family dynamic? How has everyone dealt with it?
MAKE
- Imagine a new baby was born into you family. Create a mobile for the new baby that introduces you to them in a loving way.
Clip Details
| Year of Production | 2021 |
|---|---|
| Genre | Drama |
| Curriculum Areas | Health and Wellbeing, Modern Languages, Literacy and English, Religious and Moral Education |
| Director | Dominic Phillips |
| Country of Origin | UK |
| Medium / Content | Live Action, Fiction, Colour, Sound, No Dialogue |
| Themes | Feelings, Relationships, Loss / Memories, Identity / Self, Intolerance / Misconceptions |
| Clip Length | 03:11 |
| Clip Length | 03:11 |
| Age Group | P5-P7, S1-S3 |
