One in Charge, The (El Encargado) — Sergio Barrejón, 2008
When a teacher leaves the class, he puts Martin in charge during his absence. Martin must make sure they keep working and write the names of anyone who speaks on the blackboard. An easy job... until the class bully starts talking.
In Spanish with English subtitles.
You'll find a complete BGE Third Level unit for this film here.
Classroom Activities
Print All- Critical
- Cultural
- Creative
- Clip Details
Critical
- What subject is being taught and what relevance does it have to the action?
- Why does the teacher leave the young boy in charge?
- Why does he not follow through on his instructions?
- How is the conflict enhanced through the rhythm of the camerawork and editing choices?
- What is the moral or message of this short film?
- The characters are all represented by flowers or plants – which ones? What do they have in common with their flower/plant?
- Stop at the point where Anna says that Luis has not spoken. What does this tell us?
- What is the effect when the board is wiped clean?
Cultural
- What is the role of a teacher in the classroom? Should teachers ever leave a class unattended?
- Who is responsible for class behaviour?
- Should all instructions always be carried out without question?
Creative
WRITE
- Write descriptions of each character.
- Write a story about an everyday classroom situation that goes wrong.
- Write a story about tackling a bully.
- Write an irate letter from Martin's parents pointing out the injustice of his treatment. Write a letter back from the teacher explaining the reasons for his actions.
MAKE
- Create screen grabs from the downloaded film and make a graphic novel of the film.
MODERN LANGUAGES
- Use vocabulary and phrase lists to describe characters physical, sociological, emotional and psychological make-up.
- Compile a list of class rules in Spanish.
Clip Details
| Resource Rights Holder | Future Shorts |
|---|---|
| Year of Production | 2008 |
| Genre | Drama |
| Curriculum Areas | Health and Wellbeing, Modern Languages, Literacy and English, Religious and Moral Education |
| Director | Sergio Barrejón |
| Country of Origin | Spain |
| Medium / Content | Black & White, Sound, Live Action, Fiction |
| Themes | Feelings, Relationships, Danger / Fear, Identity / Self, Intolerance / Misconceptions |
| Clip Length | 08:24 |
| Clip Length | 08:24 |
| Age Group | S1-S3, S4-S6 |
