News & Views – Watch the brave ‘Essex Girls’ alongside three other new short films on Into Film+ – News

With the new school year comes four new additions to our invaluable catalogue of short films on Into Film+. All of these films are fifteen minutes or less long, but retain the rich and engaging style of storytelling and themes we value here at Into Film. With a new short film for every age group, our themes this time cover a wide range of identity and experience. A tragicomic family holiday in French; a coming-of-age story from a different British perspective; a thoughtful animation from the perspective of a passionate deaf child; and a story of masculinity, friendship and dance from Norway.

Louis – suitable for children from 5 to 11 years

This short animated film from France gives valuable insight into how a deaf child perceives the world around them and what we can do to learn from others who see things from a different perspective. With its simple approach to language, it can also be used as a tool for learning, speaking and reading French for primary school students. The plot revolves around Louis, who has recently turned ten. He became deaf in early childhood, but this has not stopped him from learning everything he can – especially about his favourite animal, the snail. The reality of his soundless world catches up with him when he passes through the school gates and is singled out because of his deafness. How will Louis overcome this problem?

Try Louis if you liked it …The presentin which a teenager receives a puppy as a gift from his mother, but doesn't like it.

Été 96 (Summer 96) – suitable for children aged 11-16 years

This beautifully hand-drawn nostalgic cartoon explores memory and transition, and is a great way to teach basic French to lower secondary school students. Every August 15, young Paul and his family spend part of their summer vacation on Callot Island for a big picnic. The family camera passes from hand to hand, capturing the good vibes and sounds of summer as the sun beats down and the scent of sunscreen wafts through the air. This year, 1996, however, they are accidentally caught in the tide and discover that the only way off the island is through the sea. With no choice but to wait until morning, and tensions mounting, Paul decides to go exploring and finds himself in a life-changing situation.

Try Summer 96 if you liked it …Thermostats 6in which a French family sits down for dinner and their teenage daughter Diane can no longer ignore a leak in the ceiling.

butterfly

This Norwegian drama offers important insight into the way prejudice and damaging attitudes towards masculinity can destroy friendships, and how an open mind can repair them. On a cold afternoon in Norway, teenager Isak finds a secluded spot, sets up his phone, and starts recording himself dancing. This is his greatest passion in life, but he keeps it a secret from his hyper-masculine group of football friends, which leaves him feeling torn between two worlds. When his dance performance and a big game take place on the same day, he must find a way to balance the two things he loves most while staying true to himself.

Try butterfly if you liked it …pausein which three teenagers go to the cinema in the hope of seeing the latest blockbuster, where one of them has a potentially life-changing experience.

Essex Girls – suitable for 14+

Nominated for Best Short Film at this year's London Film Festival, this incredible short film is determined to turn the stereotype of the Essex girl on its head. Based on the director's true life experiences, Essex Girls is a funny, meaningful and incredibly authentic look at how one's identity plays a complex but important role in growing up black in the UK. Life hasn't always been easy for Bisola, one of the few black girls in her small Essex town. Although her close friends Charlie and Saffron think highly of her, they also don't seem to understand what makes her tick. Her British-Nigerian heritage means she often feels excluded and her dating life is non-existent. However, when a class discussion brings her closer to the outgoing and confident Ashlee, another black girl at her school, Bisola's attitude towards her identity begins to change. After accompanying Ashlee on a trip to a party in London, she is introduced to a whole new world of sisterhood and culture that previously seemed out of reach, and is faced with the problem of how to balance her newfound friendship and exciting adventure of self-discovery with the life she has been comfortable with for so many years.

Attempt Essex Girls if you liked it…Facesa documentary in which four contributors share their experiences of being mixed race in modern Britain.