Living Large - Schools Screening
Twelve-year-old Ben has just hit puberty and suddenly his weight's a problem - for him and for everyone else. The other kids bully him, his divorced parents don't knowwhat to do... Even the school nurse is worried about him. So, despite his love of food and his emerging talent as a chef, Ben decides to take drastic action. He starts to diet. Maybe that can turn things round. And even win the heart of Klara, the girl of his dreams... Finally, Ben will learn that what truly matters isn't how you look - it's how you feel.
Winner of many awards, including at Annecy Film Festival, the largest animation film festival in the world, Living Large is an honest exploration of puberty, first love and the difficult relationship with our bodies. Through the character of Ben, a witty and creative boy who stands up for himself with his friends and family’s help, the film conveys a beautiful message of accepting yourself. The film’s gorgeous visual world, using stop-motion puppet animation (in the Czech tradition of puppetry) combined with 2D animation, together with the songs Ben creates with his band to help him deal with negative feelings, make this an accessible film that will charm audiences aged 10 and above.
Advisory
Scenes of bullying: mostly fat-phobic comments but one fighting scene between bullies and protagonist, one scene where bullies take protagonist’s swimming shorts in the pool, and one scene where we see spray paint on protagonist after encounter with bullies, but the action itself isn’t shown, characters showing the middle finger, one scene of underage smoking, mention of depression
CfE: Second Level
Curricular subjects: Literacy and English, Health & Wellbeing, Expressive Arts.
Themes: Puberty, body image, bullying, friendship, creative expression, falling in love, accepting yourself
This film is an excellent discussion piece to use with Primary 7 classes for its themes of bullying and body image. The animation style is very unique, and the humour is great. I enjoyed watching it and think many pupils would benefit from seeing a character like Ben rise above his hardships and be supported by his friends and familyMatthew Pound