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The Present

The Present is a short film from 2014 directed by Jacob Fray. It tells the story of a teenage boy who is given a gift by his mother. The film has won a number of prestigious film awards.
Photo: Gift wrapped in brown paper. It has a red and white bow.
Govva: Berit Roald / CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
Before you watch the film

Work with a partner or in a small group. Discuss the following questions.

  1. Have you ever been given a gift that changed your life?

  2. Have you ever given a gift that the receiver was offended by or unhappy to get?

(If you are uncomfortable sharing your own experiences you can talk about examples of gift giving you have heard of).

About the film:

First released: 2014

Country of origin: Germany

Language: English

Directed by: Jacob Fray

Actors: Samantha Brown and Quinn Nealy

Music: Tobias Buerger

Discuss:

Work with a partner, or in a group.

  1. What impression do we get of the boy at the start of the film? What gives us that impression?

  2. At first the boy seemed happy to get the gift, but then he discovered something about it that made him angry. Why do you think he reacted this way?

  3. What changes the boy's mind about the present?

  4. Short stories often have a surprise twist at the end. Is there a surprise twist at the end of this film?

  5. Can we learn something from watching animations, or are they just entertainment?

Analyse:

Work with a partner, discuss the tasks and write down your answers in a shared document.

  1. 'Present' is a word that has more than one meaning. Do you think it is significant that the film makers chose the title The Present rather than The Gift? If so, what is the significance?

  2. Rewatch the film, and pay close attention to how sound and music is used. Write down a description of how sound and music contribute to telling the story in the film.

  3. What is the theme of the film?

  4. Does the film have a message?

Write:

Choose one of the tasks and write a longer text.

  1. Write a film analysis of The Present.

  2. Write a short story based on the film. Remember to use relevant literary devices to make the story come to life.

  3. Write a screenplay for a short film about someone who has to tackle a difficult life challenge.

Tips on how to write a screenplay

  • A screenplay needs clearly defined characters. For a short film you should focus on as few characters as possible.

  • Think about what your characters want or need. Use this as a starting point to work on a story. What will the characters do to get what they want or need?

  • Have a clear plot. Why do the things happen the way they do?

  • Think about structure. Do you want to use foreshadowing, do you want to use flashbacks, or do you want to tell the story chronologically?

  • A screenplay does not contain a lot of description, but you include information about where the action is set, what the characters wear, what time of day it is etc.

Example:

A typical suburban house, a boy sits on the sofa playing video games. A woman enters the room.

Woman: Hi, how are you?

Boy: Grunts, does not answer.

The woman leaves a box on the table in front of the boy, then walks into the kitchen.

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