These questions can be used to focus students' thinking while watching the film and/or to develop their understanding of film language.

CAMERA

• Note down all the different types of shots you notice, such as close ups and pans.

CHARACTERS AND PEOPLE

• Could you describe the narrator as a character even though he is off-screen for most of the film?
• There are lots of different people in the film. Can any of them be described as characters or do they represent an idea or type of person?
• We are introduced to a lot of children throughout the film - could they represent 'children' as a whole?

NARRATIVE

• Who provides the narrative structure of this film?
• How would you summarise the 'plot' of this short film?
• The film is propagandist in intent. How does this impact on the audience's sense of narrative?
• What is the central message of the film? If you were writing the tag-line for the DVD, what would it be?
• How have the filmmakers used the combination of sound and image to emphasise each point the narrator makes? Can you choose a scene or sequence that demonstrates how sound and image work together to produce a powerful, emotive effect?

SYMBOLISM

• Why do you suppose the filmmakers chose to centre the film around Christmas Eve?
• Does this film employ any recurring motifs?
• List all the biblical references in the film.

SETTING

• Think about the first and final scenes - where are they set and what are the most noticeable contrasts between them?
• What is the impact of the setting in the final scene?
• List some of the other settings and places referred to in the film, thinking about what they represent.