Trip, The (El Viaje) — Toni Bestard, 2003
Two boys discovery a dead man amidst the debris of a rubbish tip. Far from startling them, the boys make it their mission to prepare him for his final trip. Darkly humorous and strangely uplifting, this seemingly simple short film plays with the complexity of social class, trauma and death.
Classroom Activities
Print All- Critical
- Cultural
- Creative
- Clip Details
Critical
- Watch the opening scene with the boys in the car. Consider the car from a set design point of view: how is the car presented to make it clear to the audience that it is no longer in use?
- Consider the setting and the use of close-up shots and panning: how does the director make it clear this is not a nice place?
- Watch the section between 01:44 – 03:30, the boys don’t seem shocked by the discovery of the dead man. How does their reaction alongside they dialogue suggest they have experience trauma before and/or are used to witnessing horrific things.?
- Look carefully at the extreme close-ups of the items found in the dead man’s wallet (03:56 – 04:20) what do these items tell us about who this character was?
- Throughout the film the director uses recurring shots of the sky, why do you think this is?
Cultural
- Who do you think is the primary audience for this film? What helped you to make your decision?
- What social class do you think these characters belong to and why?
- Consider the title of the film, what different meanings could it have?
- Do you think the boys’ reaction to the dead man and what they do with him is strange? Why or why not?
- Watch another Screening Shorts film - Two Cars, One Night – which also features two young protagonists: what similarities do you notice between these films?
Creative
WRITE
- Think about a time when you experienced something strange as a child, write an account of what happened with a focus on your thoughts and feelings.
- Write a short story which features two children as protagonists who make an unusual discovery.
- Write a short creative piece using the title of the film as inspiration.
DRAW
- Design a film poster for this short. Be sure to use the conventions of a film poster and make sure you communicate information about the plot of the film, the characters or the setting.
FILMMAKING
- Design a set for a film which takes place in an unusual and unsettling location, make sure to include plenty of cultural codes to allow the setting to communicate meaning!
Clip Details
| Year of Production | 2003 |
|---|---|
| Genre | Drama |
| Curriculum Areas | Health and Wellbeing, Modern Languages, Literacy and English, Religious and Moral Education, Social Studies |
| Director | Toni Bestard |
| Country of Origin | Spain |
| Medium / Content | Live Action, Fiction, Colour, Sound, Subtitles |
| Themes | Feelings, Relationships, Loss / Memories, Danger / Fear, History / War, Culture / Society, Poverty / Class |
| Clip Length | 08:24 |
| Clip Length | 08:24 |
| Age Group | S1-S3, S4-S6 |
