Animated film about childhood memories and their distortions
Tom spends the summer on his grandfather's farm, in constant competition with his cousin.
Synopsis
Tom spends the summer at Blieschow, his grandfather's farm. Overwhelmed by the exuberance of nature, he tirelessly competes against his cousin Matthias, who seems better in everything. The world around him swells beyond measure — the dog becomes gigantic, the chicks form a sea.
The director was inspired by his own childhood summers on his grandparents' farm, questioning the reliability of his memory: was the German Shepherd really that big? The visual exaggeration is therefore not a gratuitous effect, it represents the feelings of a child. Excellent starting point for writing about a childhood memory, taking on its share of distortion.
The short film “Blieschow” was selected for the Takorama 2023 festival organized by the Films pour enfants association.
Questions about the film
1-The film is complex, several interpretations are possible; how do you understand this film?
It is the story of a young boy who goes to the countryside, perhaps on vacation, to visit his grandfather.
He finds himself competing with another boy, perhaps a friend or his cousin, for the love of his grandfather.
About the author: The author explains that the idea for the film was inspired by his personal experience, by his fantastically exaggerated childhood memories of his grandparents' farm in Blieschow, Germany, where he spent many summers during his childhood. In particular, he asks himself questions about his memories: was the German shepherd really so gigantic? Was I really standing in a sea of chickens?
A combination of old memories and newly invented ideas emerged. This is how the story of a boy who competes with his cousin for the approval and love of his grandfather developed, on a farm whose rules are foreign to the protagonist.
2-How would you describe the visual universe of the film?
The visual universe of the film is on the one hand very colorful. On the other hand, everything seems exaggerated, the size of the dog, the number of chicks... This may suggest that the film does not represent reality but the way the main character feels about things and events around him. It can also represent his childhood memories.
For example, the boy discovers a chick farm and the quantity of chicks is exaggerated to the point that the chicks become a sea of chicks.
Or when he was little, his grandfather's dog was much bigger than him, and as he grew up, he continued to imagine the dog as a gigantic animal.
3-How does the main character feel towards the other young boy?
He is jealous. He feels like his grandfather prefers him.
4-What happens 5 minutes into the film?
The main character manages to catch a chicken much bigger than his cousin's; his grandfather asks him to cut the neck of this chicken, which he doesn't want to do at all.
5-What happens at 6:40 of the film?
The boy's cousin tortures a hedgehog with a stick and asks him to do the same.
The boy gets angry and hits his cousin.
The cousin cries in his grandfather's arms, but the latter approves of the boy's reaction.
6-How does the film end?
The two boys pee on the electrical cord. The two boys are now on an equal footing compared to the beginning of the film where the main character did not dare to pee on the line.
Extensions and references
1- French
- Memory and childhood memories
The film depicts the author's childhood memories.
These memories, like the size of the dog, the number of chicks, are exaggerated compared to reality.
Do you think your memories are true to what you experienced or are they exaggerated?
2- Plastic arts
- Childhood memories
Draw one of your childhood memories and explain whether you think it is accurate or exaggerated.
3- Living world
- Battery rearing
The film features a sea of chicks, certainly the young boy's exaggerated memory.
However, battery breeding, intensive breeding exists.
This method of breeding is mainly used for raising laying hens but it is also used for larger animals, such as piglets and calves.
What do you think?
Educational activities offered by Bruno Pellier, Christophe and Olivier Defaye.
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