Film commentary: The Best Toy
Escalation, one-upmanship to please one's friends, but is it really necessary?Children, from a very young age, are sensitive to the external gaze and the opinion of others influences our behaviour. A very beautiful film to explain to the youngest children that it is important to have self-confidence.
Discover Gabriel
Lin's other films
http://gabelin.blogspot.jpQuestioning the film: The Best Toy
Understand the story, the theme, express your sensibility and exercise your critical mind.There are two main issues of interpretation for this film.At the first level, it is a question of grasping the psychological experience that is recounted: learning to get rid of the gaze of others, to trust oneself. This means focusing on the evolution of the characters' emotions, which can be read on their expressions, and making assumptions. Although identification is direct here, given the context familiar to the children (a playground or public park), understanding the change in the main character is not necessarily self-evident.
At a second level, it is a question of identifying the themes linked to the wider context, such as the technological race, fashion and their links with affectivity or relationships in the group. Changing the focus or context can be a way of capturing these.
1 How do we know what the characters are thinking?
From their expressions.Because we have already experienced the same situations...
2 Where and when does the story take place? in which country?
We don't know exactly, but in a country where children can play with electronic toys...
3 What drives the child to constantly change his toy?
He wants to have the most beautiful, the most perfect one compared to his friends.
4 Why does the child give up perfecting his toy?
He understands that he will not be able to have the most perfected toy: with each improvement added, a new toy appears with a new function.
5 What do you think of the last state of the child's tinkered toy?
It is brilliant: he has managed to put together many different functions? It is akind of monster, which cannot hold together?
6 At the end of the film, has the child learned anything?Has he lost anything?
He is still alone, but he has fun on his own.He has learnt not to depend on other children's eyes.
7 What are the impressions of the child's two friends at the beginning and at the end of the story?
At the beginning they are interested in his toy, later in the more advanced toys.They come back to see him at the end and have the same reaction.
8 And if we replaced the characters with adults, how would we rewrite the story?
It would be in the office and the adults would compare their smartphones? or at home the size of their television sets?
Download the PDF of the film's educational activities
Created with the support of the French Ministry of Education and the CNC.Viewing of the film with the family, educational activities with parents at home and with teachers in the classroom
Study the history of a toy (Questioning the world) (Cycle 2 and 3)
Educational activities proposed by Bruno Pellier based on the film The Best Toy.
The life of a toy (Questioning the world) (Cycle 2 and 3)
Educational activities proposed by Bruno Pellier based on the film The Best Toy.
Réseau Canopé course (Ecology in solidarity)
Thematic course created by Marie-Jo Lantam Ninsao based on 4 films including The Best Toy.
Discover other educational sheets created with the support of the Ministry of Education and the CNC...
Theme
civic educationGenre and keywords
Narrative, exclusionRecommended age
3 yearsParental control
Duration
02 min 46 s.Title
The Best ToyDirector
Gabriel LinMusic
Pepper RiveraProduction
Calarts School (California Institute of the Arts) 2014
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