Commentary: Kippik
Did the chestnuts decide to look like hedgehogs to protect themselves?
A very amusing film to explain mimicry to children, this property that certain animal or plant species possess to make themselves similar in appearance to another species or to the surrounding environment.
Cases of mimicry are common among animals but rarer among plants and plants which, unable to move, have developed astonishing properties.
To spread pollen. orchids seduce male pollinating insects by pretending to be females. They also emit a scent identical to the sex pheromones of imitated female insects.
Why not present the curious South American vine, Boquila trifoliolata, capable of copying the appearance of the leaves of different plants on which it clings in order to escape its predators; its genes allow it to imitate more than 10 kinds of leaves!
Make a list of animals capable of imitating their environment? Children are often familiar with the chameleon, capable of harmonizing its color with its environment, to camouflage itself or to communicate its state of mind to its peers. Emerald green, everything is fine; Red or black if he is angry or feels threatened.
If orchids disguise themselves as insects, the praying mantis, Hymenopus coronatus, disguises itself as an orchid to hunt its prey and has a spot on its abdomen that resembles a gnat and reassures insects.
Butterflies disguised as leaves? caterpillars into snakes (Hemeroplanes triptolemus)?
Questions about the film: Kippik
Understand the story and themes, express your feelings and develop critical thinking.
1Who is the character in the film? In what environment does he operate?
It's a hedgehog walking in the forest.
2Our little hedgehog meets at the beginning of the film. Who does he think he meets? Who do you think he is actually meeting?
He thinks he's found another hedgehog, but it's actually a chestnut.
3Why do you think chestnuts grow?
He did not understand that it was a chestnut, and, as he is upset that the one he thinks is another hedgehog does not answer him, he tries to provoke her.
4Then why does he start following him at full speed?
As he still hasn't understood that it was a chestnut, he thinks that he threw someone else down the slope and so he runs after him to help him.
5When he then finds himself trapped, stung on the branch, why does he suddenly start to get agitated?
He sees, down below, another hedgehog who will certainly make the same error of judgment.
6Why, at the end of the film, can we see lots of hedgehogs “planted” in the surrounding branches?
We then understand that all the hedgehogs in the region are trapped, which gives the fall of the film a very comical side.
Download the film's educational activities in PDF
Created with the support of the Ministry of National Education and the CNC.
Watching the film with the family, educational activities with parents at home and with teachers in class.
Theme
Mimicry
Genre & keywords
Comic, Animals, resemblance, hedgehog, chestnut, animal, forest
Recommended age
5 years old
Duration
2 min 35 s
Title
Kippik
Realization
Estelle Dornic Michal Gabrieli François Godofe Adrien Pezé Florian Scaduto Benoît Touroude Félix Lacoste
Production
LISAA in 2013, France
