Questions for "Valiant Hearts"
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Camille Cottin, the adult star of the movie, is quoted in the French press in regard to her character: “How do you become a hero? Or in any case how, how does one commit to defending one’s country, to defending values ​​at the cost of one’s life? It’s hard to project yourself until you face it, I think.” Discuss other people you personally know or have read/heard about whose heroism could have (or did) cost them their lives.
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Cottin also noted to the French press: “I’m happy to be part of a film which is intended for children, which is for children, but which nonetheless remains a truly beautiful moment in cinema, with the same rigor and the same artistic dimension as if this film was intended exclusively for an adult audience. And to address these questions with the children, to be able to have a discussion when leaving the film.” Do you feel that this is a film “for children” or rather a film that is appropriate for young teens through adults?
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Name other films (or even books) that you would recommend for viewing/reading for middle school students.
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Jewish survival under Nazi occupation depended on many factors including quick thinking, a skill set, a keen awareness of danger, plain luck and being helped by a righteous individual. What characteristic do you think most righteous individuals had in common?
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There were more righteous individuals in some countries than others? What do you think accounts for the differences? Why do you think that a great percentage of Jews in The Netherlands died in the Holocaust and a much smaller percentage died in Italy?
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Can we teach people to be altruistic and righteous? Explain.