A very beautiful film on geology and geography. The idea of personifying a mountain and following its evolution over time makes it possible to explore the theme of time on a geological scale with children.
It is also the story of human activities, their impact on nature and children will have fun listing all the stages of transformation of this mountain character.
The short film “An Object at Rest” was selected at the Takorama 2020 festival organized by the Films pour enfants association.
Understand the story, the theme, express your sensitivity and exercise your critical thinking.
After a first viewing, ask the students to describe the eras and different environments that the mountain character goes through.
At the beginning, seconds 22, 28, 31, 34 and 40 then at the end, 5 min 18 s.
1-Who is the main character in the film?
A mountain.
2-How did the director of the film manage to personify the mountain?
With eyes, a nose, a mouth.
The mountain expresses feelings like surprise, boredom... It walks on two legs.
3-Note with the students the evolutions and the different states of the mountain.
Old mountain, young mountain, desert, glacier, rock, stone millstone, pebbles, cannonball, pebble, fossil, debris, gravel, grain of sand, glass lens.
4-Note the different uses that men make of the mountain.
A stone wheel in a mill, a cannonball in war, a fossil in a museum, a glass lens in space.
5-What happens to the mountain at the end of the film?
She begins a new life.
Some dates:
Formation of the Earth: 4.55 billion years.
Appearance of life: 3.85 billion years.
Appearance of dinosaurs: 250 million years ago and disappearance 65 million years ago.
Appearance of hominids (Toumaï): 7 million years ago.
Appearance of homo sapiens: 200,000 years.
Lascaux cave: 18,000 years old.
End of Prehistory and beginning of History (first written documents): 5,300 years.
- Extensions on mountain exploitation and gold prospectors in the 19th century:
“La Ruée vers l'or”, Charlie Chaplin (1925).
Created with the support of the French Ministry of Education and the French National Center for Cinema and Animated Images (CNC).
Watching the film with the family, educational activities with parents at home and with teachers in class.
