This animated short about men and hair tells the story of little bald Léon and of his grandfather, an old man with a bushy black beard. A thing of legend, the grandfather's beard seems endowed with magic powers. It even turns caterpillars into butterflies! But Léon's grandmother wants to cut off the unkempt beard and regain the distinguished-looking man she married, who wore just a tidy moustache. When the old man's asleep, grandmother prowls, scissors in hand, but Léon's keeping a watchful eye on her. As long as grandpa lives, the beard will stay.
Ages 14 to 15
English Language Arts - Children's Stories/Fables
This film is worthwhile for leading students to analyze symbolic content and transpose it to a narrative text. Inform students that they will be viewing a silent animated film and then transposing it in writing, in the form of a fairy tale for children aged 6 to 8. Ask the students to retain all of the subtleties they notice during the screening, as well as the symbolic elements. They must then be sure to include all of these elements in their stories.