Student’s worksheet · 2nde · A2+ → B11re · B1 → B2
Hidden Figures (2016)
Theodore Melfi · official trailer · Who gets written into the history of space exploration?
Name:
Date:
Film title:
Director:
Talk and write about the characters and the film, never about your own private life.
1 General identification
1.1 Year of release:
Start with…
- « The film was released in… »
Start with…
- « The film was released in…, and it is set in… »
1.2 Country of origin:
☐ USA ☐ United Kingdom ☐ Other: ________
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- « It is a … film directed by… »
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- « It is a … film, made by a … director. »
1.3 Genre (tick one or two):
☐ Drama ☐ Comedy ☐ Sci-Fi ☐ Historical ☐ Thriller ☐ Social Realism ☐ Other: ________
Start with…
- « I think it is a … because the film shows… »
Start with…
- « It belongs to … : it shows… »
2 Plot & setting
2.1 Where and when does the story take place? Describe the place and the time.
Start with…
- « The film is set in… in… »
- « We can see… »
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- « The story is set in…, at a time when… »
- « The setting looks… because… »
2.2 Sum up the main conflict in 3 sentences.
• Introduction
Start with…
- « At the beginning, Katherine… because… »
Start with…
- « The film opens on Katherine, who… »
• Climax (turning point)
Start with…
- « Everything changes when… »
Start with…
- « The turning point is when…, so… »
• Resolution
Start with…
- « In the end, Katherine understands that… »
Start with…
- « Finally, Katherine realises that…, so… »
3 Character analysis
3.1 The protagonist (main hero): name, motivations and main flaws.
Start with…
- « The main character is Katherine, who… »
- « Katherine wants to… because… »
- « The main flaw is that… »
Start with…
- « Katherine is motivated by… »
- « However, the main weakness is…, which is why… »
3.2 The antagonist (the opposing force): who or what stops the protagonist?
Start with…
- « The opposing force is segregation, who / which… »
Start with…
- « segregation stands in the way because… »
- « But the real obstacle may also be… »
3.3 Cultural identity: how does the film reflect American values and myths (the space race, the American Dream, the fight for civil rights)?
Start with…
- « The space race shows that America wants… »
- « Katherine has to… because of segregation. »
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- « The film shows the gap between the American Dream and… »
- « NASA needs Katherine, but… »
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4 Cinematic techniques
Use the official trailer: choose one moment from the list below.
- ≈0:50 · Katherine at the blackboard
- ≈1:50 · the meeting room full of men in suits
- ≈1:58 · the rocket lift-off
4.1 Camera angles & shots: describe one memorable moment. Is it a close-up (focus on emotion) or a wide shot (focus on the place)?
Start with…
- « At …, there is a … of… »
- « It shows that… »
Start with…
- « The director uses a … shot to… »
- « This angle makes … look… »
4.2 Soundtrack & lighting: how do the music or the colours make you feel in that moment?
Start with…
- « The music makes me feel… because… »
- « The light is…, so… »
Start with…
- « The music creates a … atmosphere. »
- « The lighting makes … look… »
5 Critical thinking & personal opinion
5.1 Thematic core: what message is the director trying to send to the audience?
Start with…
- « The message of the film is that… »
- « The director wants us to… »
Start with…
- « Theodore Melfi shows that… »
- « The film warns us that… »
5.2 The question of the film: « Who gets written into the history of space exploration? » Answer it now, after the study.
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- « My answer is… because… »
- « At first I thought…, now I think… »
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- « In my opinion,… For example, in the trailer… »
- « The film made me think again about… »
5.3 Your review · Star rating: ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
Write a paragraph (80 to 100 words).
Write a review (120 to 150 words) with two arguments and an example.
Start with…
- « I would recommend this film to… because… »
- « What I liked most was… »
- « However,… »
Start with…
- « I would (not) recommend this film because… »
- « The best moment of the trailer is… because… »
- « On the other hand,… »