Directed by: DiegoLuna

Certificate: mayoresde15años

Running time: 83minutosRelease date: 25deabrilde2011

Synopsis:Abel is an unstable child whose problems have only gotten worse since his fatherwalASkedoutonthefamily.NooneinthehouseholdissurewhattodoforAbelorhowtheyshouldbehavearoundhim,andastayinamentalhospitaldoeslittletogroundhim.However,onedayAbelwakesupanddecidesthathe’sthemanofthehouse,andbeginsactinglikehisabsentfatherratherthantheyoungestchild.Tothesurpriseofeveryone,adultresponsibilitiesagreewithAbel,andthefamilyseemssignificantlyhappierwithhisnewpersonality.But thisproves tobe short-livedwhenAbel’s realdadunexpectedlyreturns,andthetwovieforthestatusofheadofthehousehold.¹

These Study Notes are suitable for KS4, AS, A2, Film Studies and Spanish.

AbelStudy Notes

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Before viewing

z Whatdoes‘family’meanforyou?Shareyourviewswithyourclassmates.Doyouhavedifferentopinions?z Today’ssocietycomprisesmanydifferenttypesoffamilies.Whatdoyouthinkchildrenneedfromafamilytosupportthemastheyaregrowingup?

Mexicanvocabulary.AsinEnglish,Spanishhasawidevarietyofdialects.OneofthemistheMexicanSpanishwhichvocabularyisverycharacteristic.MatchthefollowingMexicanexpressionswiththeirpeninsularequivalent:

1. lunchear 2. pinche 3. morro/a 4. dar chance 5. en el gabacho 6. ir hecho la mocha7. chingadera 8. platicar

Nuevocinemexicano.“Nuevocinemexicano” isageneral termgiventocinemafromMéxicomadeafter1990.Itsfeaturesincludethesearchforfilmicandartisticquality,aswellasthematicconcernswithdifficultsocialtopics.²

Havealookatthepictureonthefrontcoveranddescribethemise-en-scène(everythingthatappearsbeforethecameraanditsarrangement).

z Whichtypeofshotisit?Whatcanyousayaboutthelighting?z Duringthefilmyouwillwatchseverallongshotsoflandscapes.Takenotesonthesetodescribetheircharacteristics(shot,angle,lighting,cameramovements,editing,sound...)afteryouhavefinishedwatching.

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a. ir muy rápidob. comerc. hablard. dar la oportunidade. cosa (despectivo)f. en el extranjerog. ruin, indignoh. chico/a, novio/a

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©Film Education July 2011. Film Education is not responsible for the content of external websites.

www.filmeducation.org www.nationalschoolsfilmweek.org

After viewing

Completethefollowingsentenceswiththevocabularyinthebox:

1. ElpadredeAbelsemarchó,asíquesufamiliaesuna______________________.2. Abeldecide________________desufamilia,esdecir,éleselresponsable.3. SeleneyPaulsuelen_____________________asumadre.4. Esfácil_________________aAnselmodelproblemadeAbel,yaqueempezócuando

Anselmolosabandonó.5. Abelasumequesumadredebe_________________porquecompartieronuncigarrillo

enlacama.6. Cecilia yAnselmodeberían _____________________________de sushijos,pues los

hijosnecesitandelosdospadres.7. ComoAnselmonolespasala_____________________,Ceciliadebevenderlasfincas

parapodercomer.8. Anselmohacometidouna________________porqueestáviviendoconotramujery

todavíaestácasado.

Sexism

Sexism isoftenpresent inLatinsocieties.Actually, theword ‘macho’ isaLatinword,meaningmale.ThefilmcriticisessexisminMéxico,throughdifferentscenesinwhichtheeffectsofsexismindailylifearerepresented(thefilmsthatAbelwatchesonTV,thesong‘MachoMan’forFather’sDayfestivalintheschool...).Couldyoufindmoreexamples?

Your opinions

z DoyouthinkthatAbeltakesanindispensablerole?WhichpositivechangeshappenwhenAbelbecomesthefamilyman?z Inyouropinion,isCeciliadoingtherightthingbyhidingAbel’schangesfromthedoctor?Doyouthinkyouwouldhavedonethesamethinginherplace?z DoyouthinkthatAnselmohastherightofdemandingfidelitytoCecilia?

familiamonoparental contestarmal compartirlacustodiapensiónalimenticia infidelidad hacersecargo estarembarazada echarlaculpa

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www.filmeducation.org www.nationalschoolsfilmweek.org

Grammar: Reflexive verbs

Completethesentenceswiththerightformoftheverbinbrackets:

1. Normalmentemispadres________________,sobretodosiestamosdevacaciones.(pelearse,ellos,presente)

2. Mihermanaymiprimono_________________nadabien,¡nopodíanniverse!(llevarse,ellos,imperfecto)

3. Envacaciones,mipadre________________deldineroquegastemos.(quejarse,él,futuro)

4. Megusta________________contodamifamiliaporquesonlomásimportanteparamí.(entenderse,yo,infinitivo)

5. _____________________detupadreporqueeramuybuenoconmigo.(enamorarse,yo,pretérito).

6. Situvieraisproblemaseconómicos,______________________cargodelamanutencióndevuestroshijos.(hacerse,nosotros,condicional)

7. ¡_________________biencuandovisitemosatusabuelos!(comportarse,tú,imperativo)

8. Heestado________________dehabermecasadocontupadremuchosaños.(ar-repentirse,yo,gerundio)

9. ¿Cómo________________porvosotrosmismossinotuvieraislaayudadetustíos?(mantenerse,vosotros,condicional)

10. Antesdeque_______________porotrapersona,queríadecirtequeestoyembarazada.(enterarse,tú,presentedesubjuntivo)

Written by María Gonzáles Fuentes

1. http://www.filmaffinity.com/es/film842482.html2. http://respuesta.mexicotop.com/Entretenimiento/nuevo-cine-mexicano-epoca-pelicu-las-directores-actores