Teachers’ Resource: A Bag Of Marbles

(Un sac de billes)

Level 3/4 and Senior Phase
Created by Germain Julien
Discovery Film Festival: Sat 20 October - Sun 4 November 2018
discoveryfilmfestival.org.uk

© Dundee Contemporary Arts 2018

With support from DCA Cinema and Learning teams
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Introduction
Discovery Learning Resources give you exciting classroom activities to enhance Curriculum for
Excellence delivery.

They are created by classroom teachers and education professionals. Each resource aims to:

• support and extend working with film in the classroom

• help prepare teachers for a class visit to a Discovery Film Festival film and to extend
the impact of that visit for delivery of CfE

• develop confidence in Moving Image Education approaches and working with 21st
Century Literacy / moving image texts

Each resource is free and available to download from

www.discoveryfilmfestival.org.uk/resources

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A Bag Of Marbles (Un sac de billes)

Dir: Christian Duguay
France/Canada 2017 / 1h50m
French with English subtitless

Synopsis

Nous sommes à Paris, au début des années 40, en pleine seconde Guerre Mondiale. Joseph et
Maurice, qui ont dix et treize ans, sont fils d’un coiffeur juif du quartier de Clignancourt, Roman
Joffo. Mais la menace monte à l’encontre des Juifs dans cette France occupée et leur père
décide de les envoyer à Nice. Les deux garçons devront se débrouiller seuls pour regagner
cette destination. Commence alors un parcours semé d’embuches, de dangers et de
rencontres.

During World War II, Joseph and Maurice, ten and thirteen, live in Paris with their dad, Roman
Joffo, who is a barber in the Clignancourt area. The situation is becoming more and more
threatening for the Jewish community in occupied France, therefore Roman decides to send
the two boys to Nice. Joseph and Maurice will have to fend for themselves to reach their
destination, facing great challenges and dangers but also meeting new people on the journey.

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Advisory: The topic of the film by nature, the life of Jewish children during the Second World
War, could appear distressing for a young audience. Nevertheless, in Un Sac de Billes,
deportation and death is only suggested, not shown, there are hardly any graphically upsetting
scenes and very little strong language. It would be recommendable to show the film to
students having some background knowledge on the topic of the Second World War and the
persecution of Jewish people during this event.

Teacher’s notes
As well as providing some activities to help learners understand the historical background for
the film this pack mostly focuses on Modern Languages. The audience of this pack are French
learners, potentially ranging from S1 to S6. As a consequence of such an age/ability range
some of the activities are basic while others are more challenging (the Pour aller plus loin tasks
are usually aimed at Higher/Advanced Higher level). Each Teacher is free to decide which
activities are relevant for their classes and adapt some of them in order to differentiate
according to pupils’ ability.

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Avant le film (Before the film)

L’affiche du film (the poster)

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L’affiche du film (the poster)

A) Look at the poster, write a few sentences in French to describe the characters (physical
appearance, personality, age, clothing) and the background. Make sure you include a
variety of adjectives and check for accurate word order and agreement.

Useful vocab:

il est = he is ; ils sont = they are ; il a = he has ; ils ont = they have ; il a l’air = he seems

ils ont l’air = they seem ; il porte = he wears/carry ; ils portent = they wear/carry

à l’arrière-plan = in the background ; au premier plan = in the foreground

il y a = there is/are ; on peut voir = you can see

B) You can read on the poster: ‘D’après l’ouvrage « UN SAC DE BILLES » de JOSEPH
JOFFO’. What does that tell you about the film?

I can create, amend and present more extended information about myself and others, my
experiences, or a topic of my choice for different purposes. MLAN 3-13a

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La bande-annonce (the trailer)

Regarde la bande-annonce: https://youtu.be/ysUFchQpps4

A) Un Sac de Billes, c’est quel type de film ? (Tick the boxes describing the genre)

c une comédie c un film d’aventure c un film de science-fiction

c un film de guerre c un film d’amour c un film d’horreur
c un dessin-animé c un film d’action c un film fantastique

B) Quels sont les thèmes du film? (Tick the boxes which mention themes from the film).

c la famille c l’école c le sport c la guerre c l’amour c la vieillesse

c l’enfance c la santé c l’amitié c la drogue c la musique c les vacances

C) Here is an extract from a conversation that you can hear in the trailer between Joseph and
his dad, Roman:

Roman: “Vous allez me jurer que jamais vous ne direz à qui que ce soit que vous êtes
juifs.”
Joseph: “Promis!”
Roman: “Jo, t’es juif ? (slapping him) Je sais que t’es juif !”
Joseph: “Non j’suis pas juif”. (crying)
Roman: “Il vaut mieux prendre une claque qui fait mal que de perdre la vie parce qu’on a
peur d’en prendre une.”

Why do you think they are having this conversation? Why do you think the dad is behaving like
this? What does he want to prepare Joseph for?

I can show my understanding of what I listen to or watch by responding to literal, inferential,

evaluative and other types of questions, and by asking different kinds of questions of my own.
LIT 2-07a

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Après le film (After the film)

Activity 1 - Le vocabulaire du film

Reliez les mots-clés du film en français (lettres) et en anglais (numéros).

(Match up the letters (keywords in French) and the numbers (keywords in English)).

a) une bille 1. false (ID) documentation

b) juif/juive 2. (identity) check

c) allemand(e) 3. a people smuggler

d) une étoile 4. a star

e) un contrôle (de papiers) 5. a priest

f) des faux papiers 6. a soldier

g) arrêter 7. a marble

h) aider 8. Jewish

i) faire du stop 9. German

j) prendre le train 10. to trust

k) voyager 11. to help

l) marcher 12. to be wary of / distrust

m) un soldat 13. to fight

n) un passeur 14. to travel

o) un prêtre 15. to hitchhike

p) faire confiance à 16. to walk

q) se méfier de 17. to stop/arrest

r) lutter 18. to take the train

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Activity 2 - Le voyage des garçons et son contexte historique

The map below sums up the situation of France in 1942. What do you notice? Carry out further
research about the situation in France during the Second World War.

Try to retrace the brother’s journey by finding on the map Paris (departure point), Dax (where
the train stops), Hagetmau (crossing into ‘Zone Libre’), Nice (where the boys reunite with the
family and are detained in the Hotel Excelsior), Rumilly (where Joseph works at the bookshop).
Notice in which zone is each place.

I can use primary and secondary sources selectively to research events in the past. SOC 2-01a

Through researching, I can identify possible causes of a past conflict and report on the impact
it has had on the lives of people at that time. SOC 3-06b

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Activity 3 - La France divisée

A) As you will have found out in the previous activity,

part of France was under Nazi occupation while the
‘Zone Libre’ was under the rule of le Maréchal Pétain,
who surrendered and collaborated with Adolf Hitler,
this was called le Régime de Vichy. Look at the
Propaganda poster on the right hand side and
translate it into English. What do you think is
the aim of this poster?

B) Pétain’s propaganda posters were on display across France, you

might have noticed one (reproduced on the left hand side) while
watching the film, when Joseph is in class and one of his
classmate, Zérati, mocks the slogan on the poster by twisting it to:
‘je tiens mes maîtresses, même celles des autres’.
He copies it on a bit of paper that he passes round the class and
when caught by the teacher the boys are given a punishment
exercise: ‘vous me copierez tous les deux cinquante fois la devise du
Maréchal’.

You can see on the right hand side la devise du Maréchal (the
Marshall’s motto): ‘Travail, Famille, Patrie’. Translate the three words
into English, how does that compare to the traditional French
motto (‘Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité’) in terms of values?

C) People who agreed with the Marshall’s ideas and vision for France were called
collaborationists (often shortened in French to: les collabos). Which characters in the films
represent this side of the French population?

Pour aller plus loin: Carry out more in-depth research about the Nazi occupation, le Régime de
Vichy, collaboration and resistance in France. Create a timeline with the key dates and events.

I can use primary and secondary sources selectively to research events in the past.
SOC 2-01a

Through researching, I can identify possible causes of a past conflict and report on the impact it
has had on the lives of people at that time. SOC 3-06b

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Activity 4 - L’étoile jaune

On the 29th of May 1942 a law was passed which made it compulsory for Jewish people aged
six and above to wear a yellow star of David in public spaces. It was a patch sewn onto items
of clothing, on the left side of the chest. You can see below the front page of a newspaper that
the family is reading while sewing and discussing the new law.

How do people react to this new law in the film? What consequence does it have on the boys’
life, especially when they arrive at school the following day?

Joseph’s first reaction when helping the family sewing the stars onto items of clotings is: “c’est
comme une médaille, non?”. What does this comment indicate?

A couple of scenes later, his schoolmate Zérati offers to trade his bag of marbles for the badge,
at this point Joseph then warns him: “je te préviens, fais attention, ce n’est pas qu’une étoile,
c’est ausssi une cible!”. What does this comment now denote about Jospeph’s perception of
the badge?

Thinking about the scene mentioned above, why do you think the author has chosen Un Sac
de Billes (A Bag of Marbles) as the title for his book?

Pour aller plus loin: Carry out further research to find out more about anti-Semitism in France
and the situation of Jewish people during the Second World War. What role did the French
authorities play in the deportation of Jewish people? At a couple of occasions during the film
there is mention of the Camp de Drancy; find out more about what happened there.

Through researching, I can identify possible causes of a past conflict and report on the impact
it has had on the lives of people at that time. SOC 3-06b

I work on my own and with others to understand text using appropriate resources. I can read
and demonstrate understanding of more complex texts which contain familiar and unfamiliar
language. MLAN 3-08a

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Activity 5 - Les personnages

• Les enfants et les jeunes

Joseph Maurice Françoise Raoul Mancelier Ferdinand

• Les adultes

Roman Anna le Prêtre Docteur Rosen Mr Mancelier

A) Qui est ton personnage préféré et pourquoi ? (Who is your favourite character and why?)

B) Ecris quelques phrases pour décrire les relations entre les personnages.
(Write a few sentences to describe the relationship between the characters).

Useful vocab:

à mon avis = in my opinion mon personnage préféré = my favourite character

je pense que = I think that j’aime beaucoup... = I like ... a lot parce que/car = because

s’entend bien = gets on se dispute = argues rigole bien = has fun avec = with

est amoureux de = is in love with peut parler de tout = can talk about everything

est gentil(le)/méchant = is nice/nasty au début = at the start à la fin = at the end

C) “Vous verrez à qui vous pouvez faire confiance” was the advice given by Monsieur
Subinagui, the Head of the Camp ‘Moisson Nouvelle’, near Nice, where the boys stay for a
while. Which characters can the boys rely on during the film? Explain in which way some of
them help the boys in their journey/escape? Which characters do they have to be wary of?

I can write about experiences, feelings and opinions and can offer reasons for having those
opinions. MLAN 4-13b

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Activity 6 - La fuite : liberté et responsabilités

While escaping Nazi persecutions the two boys travel through France and have to fend for
themselves. Joseph declares at one point: “c’était trop bien d’être comme ça tous les deux,
de voyager, libres comme on ne l’avait jamais été”. If the feeling of freedom is undeniable for
the two boys on their journey, there is also a strong element of danger, bringing with it a lot of
responsibilities for the two young brothers. Sort out the sentences below according to whether
they are elements of freedom (liberté) or responsibilities (responsabilités) during their journey.

a) Les garçons doivent mentir sur leur identité et leur religion lors des contrôles.

b) Joseph vend des aliments et des cigarettes au marché noir pour gagner de l’argent.

c) ‘Il n’y avait pas de parents, pas d’école et surtout personne pour nous dire quoi faire.’

d) Les garçons aident les membres de la Résistance, Joseph apporte un message important à
Monsieur Jean.

e) Les garçons font du stop, ils fument des cigarettes avec un des conducteurs.

f) Joseph doit travailler, il vend des journaux à la criée.

I work on my own and with others to understand text using appropriate resources. I can read
and demonstrate understanding of more complex texts which contain familiar and unfamiliar
language. MLAN 3-08a

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Activity 7 - Raison et innocence

Throughout the film you can see the two boys, especially Joseph who is very young at the
start, maturing and progressively and prematurely losing their innocence. Can you sort out the
events below according to whether they belong to normal childhood experience (innocence) or
to mature decision making (raison).

a) Il y a une bataille de polochons et d’oreillers entre les deux frères et le père.

b) Maurice va chercher des faux certificats de baptême auprès du curé à Nice.

c) Les deux garçons jouent aux billes.

d) Joseph et Maurice doivent négocier et payer un passeur pour aller en ‘Zone Libre’.

e) Les garçons doivent prendre le train, le bus et faire du stop.

f) Les deux frères font une bataille d’eau avec leurs parents lorsqu’ils sont à la plage.

g) Joseph échange son étoile jaune contre un sac de billes.

I work on my own and with others to understand text using appropriate resources. I can read
and demonstrate understanding of more complex texts which contain familiar and unfamiliar
language. MLAN 3-08a

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Activity 8 - L’histoire

A) Vrai ou faux ?

Lis les phrases ci-dessous à propos de l’histoire et décide si elles sont vraies ou fausses.
Justifie ta réponse. (Read the statements below, summarising the plot, decide whether they are
true or false. Justify your answer.)

a) Roman, le père des garçons, refuse de couper les cheveux des officiers Nazis.

b) A l’école les camarades de classe acceptent sans problème que Joseph porte l’étoile jaune.

c) Roman avait dû, à l’âge de ses enfants, quitter sa famille et s’échapper de Russie à cause
de persécutions contre les Juifs.

d) C’est très facile de traverser la ligne de démarcation entre la zone libre et occupée.

e) Les soldats italiens sont plus relaxes que les soldats allemands ou les milices françaises.

f) La police française est compréhensive de la situation des familles juives.

g) Les deux frères sont chrétiens et sont nés en Algérie, leur parents s’appellent Romain et
Anne-Marie.

h) La famille Mancelier est au courant que Joseph est juif, ils l’aident à se cacher des Nazis.

i) Lorsque la population française apprend la libération de Paris, c’est la fête, les collaborateurs
du Régime de Vichy sont arrêtés.

j) Joseph ne défend pas le libraire lorsque les résistants veulent l’arrêter.

Pour aller plus loin: Regarde ces vidéos :

• https://youtu.be/6I2PsnwE7Zs (5m25s) reportage télé qui raconte l’histoire du livre et ses

adaptations en bande dessinée et au cinéma, avec des interviews de l’auteur du livre, du
réalisateur du film et des acteurs. Quel message les personnes interviewées souhaitent faire
passer à la fin de la vidéo?

• https://youtu.be/Sh9BVCNspxg (1m39s) ici tu peux voir Joseph JOFFO qui discute de

l’histoire et du film: que pense l’auteur du jeu des acteurs dans le film?

• https://youtu.be/z-dGAjCQx50 (9m24s) interview des acteurs (le père et la mère). Ecris en

anglais deux anecdotes par rapport au film que tu as apprises en regardant la vidéo.

I work on my own and with others to understand text using appropriate resources. I can read
and demonstrate understanding of more complex texts which contain familiar and unfamiliar
language. MLAN 3-08a

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B) La parole à Joseph

Relie les citations de Joseph avec le passage du film. (Matchup Joseph’s quotes with the
appropriate scenes from the film.)

• Les citations (par ordre chronologique d’apparition dans le film):

a) “C’est comme une médaille, non ?”

b) “Je te préviens, fais attention, ce n’est pas qu’une étoile, c’est aussi une cible !”

c) “Vingt et un kilomètres à pied, ça use, ça use, vingt et un kilomètres à pied, ça use les
souliers.”(singing with his brother)

d) “Je me demanderai toujours pourquoi il a fait ça le Docteur, pourquoi nous a-t-il sauvé nous,
alors que chaque jour il devait en condamner des centaines.”

e) “Si tu n’y arrives pas ne reviens pas, vaut mieux un vivant que deux morts.”

f) “C’est tout ce qui me reste d’avant.”

g) “Je n’avais plus de larmes, la rage les avait remplacées. Encore une fois, il fallait fuir.”

h) “Arrêtez, il a caché un juif. Moi, je suis juif ! Je suis juif. JE SUIS JUIF !”

• Les scènes (ordre aléatoire):

1) Maurice part chercher les faux certificats de baptême.

2) Joseph et son frère marchent pour rejoindre Nice.

3) Joseph défend le libraire après la libération.

4) Joseph échange son étoile jaune contre le sac de billes de Zérati.

5) La famille coud les étoiles jaunes sur les vêtements.

6) Le Docteur Rosen redonne la bille à Joseph.

7) Le Docteur Rosen aide les garçons durant l’examen médical.

8) Joseph apprend l’arrestation de son père au téléphone.

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Activity 9 - Les critiques du film

Lis les critiques du film ci-dessous, tu es d’accord ou pas d’accord avec les opinions? Ecris
ensuite ta propre critique du film en donnant et justifiant ton opinion. (Read the reviews below
and decide whether you agree with them or not. Then write your own film review, give your
opinion and reasons to justify it).

Source: http://www.allocine.fr/film/fichefilm-235620/critiques/spectateurs/

Source: http://www.allocine.fr/film/fichefilm-235620/critiques/spectateurs/

Source: http://www.allocine.fr/film/fichefilm-235620/critiques/spectateurs/

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Source: http://www.allocine.fr/film/fichefilm-235620/critiques/presse/

Source: http://www.allocine.fr/film/fichefilm-235620/critiques/presse/

Source: http://www.allocine.fr/film/fichefilm-235620/critiques/presse/

Using a variety of resources, I can independently read text which is more detailed and which
contains complex language including a range of tenses, and demonstrate my understanding.
MLAN 4-08a

I can express opinions and can offer straightforward reasons for having those opinions.
MLAN 3-13b

I can respond to the work of artists and designers by discussing my thoughts and feelings. I can
give and accept constructive comment on my own and others’ work. EXA 1-07a

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Activity 10 - La bande dessinée

The story of Un Sac de Billes has not only been adapted for the big screen but also as a Comic
Book, in two volumes, by Vincent Bailly and Kris.

Below is an extract from the book, it is the scene where the family is reunited in Nice, the
boxes for the legends of each picture have been blanked out. Fill them in in French.

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Pour aller plus loin: Il y a beaucoup de livres et de films qui témoignent de la situation des
Juifs, surtout des enfants, pendant la seconde Guerre Mondiale. Voici quelques références (la
liste n’est pas exhaustive) qui pourraient t’intéresser pour les étudier et les comparer avec le
film.

- Un Sac de Billes (1973) written by Joseph Joffo

- Un Sac de Billes (2011-12) comic book adaptation (in 2 volumes) by Vincent Bailly and Kris

- there has been an earlier cinematographic adaptation of the book Un Sac de Billes, released
in 1975 and directed by Jacques Doillon

- Le Voyage de Fanny (2016) directed Lola Doillon

- Au Revoir les Enfants (1987) directed by Louis Malle

- La Rafle (2010) directed by Rose Bosch

- Les Enfants de la Chance (2016) directed by Malik Chibane

- Elle s’appelait Sarah (2010) directed by Gilles Paquet-Brenner, adapted from the book written
by Tatiana de Rosnay

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Evaluating this resource

We hope that you found this resource useful and appropriate.

Please do send us film reviews, letters from your pupils, documentation of classwork and your
feedback by e-mailing mike.tait@dca.org.uk

Would you make a good Discovery Film Festival

Case Study?
We are seeking a number of simple Case Studies in how teachers have used or are using
Discovery films in the classroom across Curriculum for Excellence and across the Levels.

Any case studies that we develop would be intended for presentation on GLOW, the Creativity
Portal and on Discovery Film Festival websites. We have a simple template to be completed
and are keen to have classwork and documentation included.

If you would like to be a Discovery Case Study please e-mail sarah.derrick@dca.org.uk

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