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Clip description
At her mother’s insistence, Esther Blueburger (Danielle Catanzariti) returns her pet duckling, 'Normal’, to school for the weekend so it will be out of the way during her bat mitzvah. On her return to school, she goes to a science lesson about the digestive tract. She realises with horror that each member of the class is expected to cut up a duckling carcass and that her duckling is among them. She tries to do what she is asked by the teacher but can’t and rushes from the room. She seeks out her new friend Sunni (Keisha Castle-Hughes).
Curator’s notes
Throughout the film, the theme of conformity is nicely illustrated by careful choreography of the visuals, especially during the scenes set at Esther’s private school. This scene is an example but it is also unusual in that Esther is not just observing what is going on around her, as she often does, but trying to participate, to act in unison with the group. Her dramatic reaction to realising that she is expected to dissect her own pet can be seen as an illustration of the discomfort she feels when she tries to conform. The scene also reveals the importance to Esther of her developing friendship with Sunni.
