Unsatisfying

Film commentary: Unsatisfying

A very funny short film that will make children laugh a lot.
Who hasn't experienced unsatisfying? The spoon falls into the soup, the basketball tips over to the wrong side of the hoop, the egg in the pan breaks at the last moment, a domino doesn't fall... and so many others.

The use of the poignant music of composer Samuel Barber, the Agnus Dei from the Adagio for Strings (1936), but also the graphic world in the image of American painting from the 1930s, "adorn" the film with an inconsolable sadness and accentuate the derision and the humorous tone.

Ask the children if they have ever experienced one of the scenes in the film. At school, list with your students unfulfilled experiences, moments of dissatisfaction, something that didn't go as planned.

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Questioning the film: Unsatisfying

Understand the story, the theme, express your sensibility and exercise your critical mind.

The authors of the short film decided to group these "not so serious but still!" moments, which make you grind your teeth and clench your fists, in opposition to the very popular montages on the Internet which link visually funny, enjoyable and satisfying images.

The perfect opportunity to explain the notion of frustration!
The feeling of frustration in the different scenes of the film comes from the fact that we are deprived of a pleasure and satisfaction that we had anticipated. We thought we had achieved our goal, but at the last moment it does not come true. The cause can be an external event, chance, a malfunction...

Students will explain why each scene in the film creates a feeling of frustration before starting the activity dedicated to the feeling of frustration.
What are the anticipated pleasures and satisfactions? Why doesn't it happen?

- We thought we had won the teddy bear but the clamp snaps at the last moment.
- We thought we were going to drink a good juice but the can gets stuck in the drinks dispenser.
- We were happy with a nice pattern in the soup but the spoon falls off and the pattern gets blurred.
- We were about to score a point but the basketball doesn't go through the hoop.
- We almost threw the dart at the centre of the target, but it went right through.
- We were about to have a treat, but the jam toast fell on the floor and we had to do it all over again.
- The nail should have gone in all at once, but we're going to have to untwist it and start again.
- Our beautiful pan-fried egg breaks at the last moment.
- It may not change the taste but the presentation is less satisfactory.
- The dominoes should have kept falling but they stop; we have to start all over again.
- We should normally be watching a DVD but the DVD logo indicates that the TV or DVD player is not working.
- The golf ball should have fallen into the hole.
- The downloader blocks at the last moment.
- The pinball scene is not much different, we do not anticipate pleasure but displeasure; however, we are unable to influence the situation.
- At the petrol station, we would have liked to get 50.00 litres of petrol straight away. Pure visual satisfaction, because 50.01 litres does not change the reality of the situation.
- The rocket, a firework, should have exploded beautifully in the sky, but the fuse went out at the last moment.

Download PDF of the film's educational activities

Created with the support of the Ministry of Education and the CNC.
Family viewing of the film, educational activities with parents at home and with teachers in class.
Inventing a story (French) (Cycle 2 and 3)
Educational activities proposed by Olivier Defaye based on the film Unsatisfying.
The feeling of frustration (French) (Cycle 2 and 3)
Educational activities proposed by Olivier Defaye based on the film Unsatisfying.

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