Into Film Clubs
Find out everything you need to know about starting an Into Film Club.
There is never a bad time to sit down and enjoy a film so with the school year in full swing, we have added an invigorating and inspiring batch of titles onto Into Film+ for educators and young people to enjoy. Covering every age group, there are adaptations from popular children's authors such as Dr. Seuss and Roald Dahl alongside inspirational international stories from Africa and the Antarctic.
Soul
This beautiful animation from Pixar takes us to a world beyond everyday life and asks: where do humans get their purpose and personalities? When middle-aged music teacher Joe falls down a manhole cover, he finds himself transported to a strange dimension known as the Great Beyond. Unwilling to die, he attempts to escape his fate and finds himself instead in the Great Before, the place where unborn souls are prepared for life. Mistaken for a mentor, Joe is assigned a soul simply known as ‘22', a cynical soul who is determined to avoid Earth. Together they attempt to find her spark and re-discover Joe's in time for him to return to his body.
The film guide for Soul is most relevant for students aged 7-11 and is useful for exploring subjects including PSHE Education in addition to highlighting themes surrounding life and death, friendships and mental wellbeing.
Queen of Katwe
This empowering film is based on the true story of Phiona Mutesi, a young Ugandan girl who went on to become an international chess champion. Inspiring and hugely enjoyable, the film chronicles her path from being born and raised in a poor area of Kampala, to her first introduction to chess by soccer player turned missionary Robert Katende. As her life is turned upside down, chess is used as a metaphor for navigating the troubles in her life.
The film guide for Queen of Katwe is most relevant for students aged 7-14 and is useful for exploring subjects including PSHE Education, Geography and Maths in addition to highlighting themes surrounding African countries, gender representation and growing up.
We Are Many
This optimistic documentary celebrates protests across the globe and looks back at February 15th 2003, when millions gathered to demonstrate against the looming Iraq war. The film spans the events of that extraordinary day, putting them into context and examining its legacy through to present day.
The film guide for We Are Many is most relevant for students aged 14+ and is useful for exploring subjects including Citizenship, Politics and History in addition to highlighting themes surrounding modern warfare, democracy, campaigns and revolutions.
Holes
Faithfully adapted from its source novel, this offbeat family film is hugely enjoyable for all ages. Young Stanley Yelnats, who is perpetually in the wrong place at the wrong time, finds himself at a sinister correctional facility in the desert after being accused of theft. While digging holes as punishment with the rest of the kids at the facility, Stanley comes face to face with his family's strange past.
The film guide for Holes is most relevant for students aged 11-14 and is useful for exploring subjects including English and PSHE Education in addition to highlighting themes surrounding friendship, mental health and prejudice.
The Lorax
As with any adaptation of a Dr. Seuss book, there's never a dull moment, and The Lorax provides us with an abundance of nonsense, riddles and giggles perfect for the classroom. Twelve year-old Ted is desperate to impress his neighbour, Audrey, so when she reveals her wish to see a real tree, he makes it his personal mission to find one. Ted has always wondered why the town Thneedville is made entirely of synthetic materials and when he begins asking questions, he discovers things are even stranger than he thought. The arrival of the Lorax, a peculiar little orange creature, seems to create more mysteries than it solves. Silly on the surface, The Lorax reveals a strong environmental heart whilst never losing its sense of fun.
The film guide for The Lorax is most relevant for students aged 7-11, exploring subjects including Literacy, PSHE Education and Geography in addition to highlighting themes surrounding The Environment, monsters and authors.
March of the Penguins
On its release into cinemas in 2005, March of the Penguins was a huge box office hit, enjoyed by audiences of all ages due to its heart-warming and accessible look into the life cycle of the popular Emperor penguin of the South Antarctic and the journey they make every winter. The documentary beautifully captures the birds in their thousands as they leave the ocean and embark on a twenty day walk to a place so harsh, no other life from exists there. Enduring blizzards, gale force winds and with only their instinct to guide them, the penguins finally reach their breeding ground to mate. But the journey of life does not stop there as they demonstrate sheer endurance and will power to make sure that their young survive.
The film guide for March of the Penguins is most relevant for students aged 7-11 and is useful for exploring subjects including Geography and Science in addition to highlighting themes surrounding animals, family and growing up.
Gattaca
Through the prism of dystopian science fiction, Gattaca explores a topic not often covered in cinema, that of genetic engineering. Set in the not-too-distant-future, humans are divided into two groups - Valids (those born physically perfect through the marvels of science) and In-Valids - born naturally and subject to disease and defect. Vincent is a resentful In-Valid, a cleaner whose imperfections have limited his life choices. In an attempt to fulfil his dream of joining the space mission, he adopts the identity of Jerome, a Valid paralysed in an accident - a ploy that works until a murder threatens his plans.
The film guide for Gattaca is most relevant for students aged 16+ and is useful for exploring subjects including Science and PSHE Education in addition to highlighting themes surrounding ethics, careers and space & planets.
The Witches (1990)
Thought of fondly by many children over the years for its memorable creepiness and pure entertainment, The Witches also resonates amorality tale about doing the right thing. Based on the popular children's book by Roald Dahl. Nine-year-old orphan Luke is looked after by his grandmother,who tells him stories about witches - the most important detail being that they hate children. He thinks they're just fairy tales until they go to a hotel on holiday and stumble across a witches' convention. Luke uncovers their wicked plot, but they've got a few tricks up their sleeve, including turning him into a mouse. Will he be able to stop them?
The film guide for The Witches is most relevant for students aged 7-11 and is useful for for exploring subjects including Englishand Art & Design in addition to highlighting themes surrounding magic,family and child safety.
