Nightmare at School. Catherine Arcand (Director). Michèle Bélanger (Producer). Montreal, PQ: National Film Board of Canada, 2007. 8 min., 43 sec., VHS or DVD, $99.95. Order Number: 153E 007 001. Grades 5 and up / Ages 10 and up Review by Elizabeth Walker. **** /4

Catherine Arcand's atmospheric and absorbing short film, Nightmare at School, is an absolute gem. The unnamed protagonist is paralyzed by stage fright the morning he is due to give an oral presentation on molecules to his class. This situation is common to many children and adults, and Arcand draws on stereotypical nightmare scenarios: showing up at school in pajamas; running but getting nowhere; getting in trouble with an authority figure. What is truly remarkable about this film is that there is no dialogue whatsoever – Arcand uses confident visual storytelling and choice sound effects to convey a sense of setting, fear and, ultimately, triumph. Arcand's invention is everywhere. The school's labyrinthine interior echoes MC Escher's famous stairways, for instance. The subjects of the children's oral reports take on physical form as cats, cars and molecules. The principal uses portable holes to silently enter classrooms. The film is constantly in motion, smoothly flowing between hallways, rooms and characters.

      Nightmare at School will appeal to a wide range of ages, even though it is actually targeted at 10 to 13-year-olds. Elementary-aged children will no doubt empathize with the main character's fears and his means of overcoming them. High school students who are studying media and film will also find this a rich lesson in visual communication, editing, characterization and animation. A teacher's guide accompanies the DVD and provides interesting suggestions for class lessons based on fears and nightmares; a similar guide to Arcand's filmmaking strategies would also be ideal for older students. Nightmare at School is a delightful film that entertains without being pedantic. It validates fears and uses spectacular animation to tell its story. Its only failing is that it lasts only eight minutes – far too short a time for such a work of brilliance.

Highly Recommended.

Elizabeth Walker is a student in the Master of Arts in Children's Literature program at UBC.

To comment on this title or this review, send mail to cm@umanitoba.ca.

Copyright © the Manitoba Library Association. Reproduction for personal use is permitted only if this copyright notice is maintained. Any other reproduction is prohibited without permission.

Published by The Manitoba Library Association ISSN 1201-9364

Hosted by the University of Manitoba.

 

NEXT REVIEW | TABLE OF CONTENTS FOR THIS ISSUE - February 8, 2008.

AUTHORS | TITLES | MEDIA REVIEWS | PROFILES | BACK ISSUES | SEARCH | CMARCHIVE | HOME