A short film to reflect on differences.
The short film “Ant” was selected for the Takorama 2022 festival organized by the Films pour enfants association.
As a prelude to watching the film, why not ask the students to draw an ant and an anthill? Observing the ants before viewing will allow a different reading of the film.
1-What do the ants do in the film?
They work: they carry leaves from a tree to the anthill.
2-Where are the ants found?
The ants are in a tree near their anthill and in their anthill.
3-Are all ants the same?
No, one ant is bigger than the others. She distributes the leaves to the other ants. She has a cap and a whistle. It calls the other ants to order if necessary.
Among the small ants, an ant is also different; she is recognizable in the different scenes of the film because she is the only one with a striped tail.
4-Is the little ant with the striped tail like the others?
No, she's not like the others. She is distracted and has fun while working. She has fun bouncing on mushrooms, jumping in the water and flying on the leaves.
5-How does the big ant react to the actions of the little ant with the striped tail?
The big ant calls the little ant to order with his whistle.
6-Will the little ant respect the orders of the big ant?
No, the big ant lets a leaf fly away, which gives the little ant an idea: it decides to jump on the leaf and fly to the place in the anthill where the ants are piling up the leaves.
7-How does the big ant react?
She is not happy and calls the ants to order so that they can get back to work.
However, what seemed like a simple game turns out to be very effective; the big ant understands this and accepts the new method: she prepares the leaves on which the ants will fly to the anthill.
8-Compare the wide shot at the beginning and end of the film.
At the beginning of the film, the ants work in a very uniform and repetitive manner. They all do the same thing and at the same pace. They follow each other in single file and sing a very repetitive song. The work is slow and laborious.
By the end of the film, the ants no longer work uniformly and repetitively. They have fun while working. They are in small groups and sing a very melodic and joyful song. The work is faster than at the beginning.
Extensions and references
1- Literature
- The Cicada and the Ant, Jean de La Fontaine.
2- Plastic art
- Draw an anthill. Why not ask children to draw their own imaginary ant? How to protect the queen from ants?
3- Anthills
1-Why do ants make anthills?
To protect the queen, eggs, larvae and nymphs.
2-How do ants make anthills?
Domed anthills are constructed from twigs and soil that the ants carry and accumulate to form the dome.
Underground anthills are made up of galleries that the ants dig in the earth which they bring to the surface.
Ants are very fast and it only takes a few days to build an anthill, but the ants continue to grow the anthill throughout the life of the queen (20-25 years).
Educational activities offered by Christophe and Olivier Defaye, with the advice of Anne-Marie Filho.
