"Sorry We Missed You" – Worksheet

Worksheet on the film "Sorry We Missed You" (Ken Loach, UK/BE/FR 2019) for English classes

Before the screening

a) Most people work to earn money and make a living. The cost of living includes, for example, housing, food, and clothing. Discuss what you know about the working lives of your parents or older siblings. Go into detail about how many hours they work, how many days a week they work, what breaks they are entitled to, which days they have off, how much paid vacation they receive, and what happens if they fall ill.

b) Discuss the importance of breaks, days off, and holidays.

c) The film title is "Sorry We Missed You". Which business sector might this slogan be associated with? Collect ideas in class. Then watch the following clip to find out whether your suspicions are confirmed.

d) The protagonist Ricky Turner chooses a job in a new profession hoping to provide a better future for his family. He could either be employed by a company or be self-employed. Find out more about Zum externen Inhalt: self-employment (öffnet im neuen Tab). Then watch the scene again and discuss whether Ricky is an employee or self-employed. In addition to the dialogue, pay attention to the characters' facial expressions and the shot composition.

During the screening

e) Observe whether your assumptions from exercise d) are confirmed. Describe Ricky's and Abby's working days using the questions from exercise a) as a guide. Take notes in bullet points while watching the film or immediately afterwards.

After the screening

f) Compare your notes from exercise e). Discuss what surprised and/or moved you the most.

g) The delivery company operates as a franchise. Find out what a franchise is. Summarize the concept in your own words and discuss why the company chose this business model.
h) What does this kind of work –known as theZum externen Inhalt: gig economy (öffnet im neuen Tab) –mean for the franchisee? Create a table with the headings 'Working Life' and 'Private Life'. Fill it with examples from "Sorry We Missed You" and add your own ideas. Then read the Zum externen Inhalt: interview with Stefan Sell (öffnet im neuen Tab) (in German), note the most important information, and complete your table.

i) Highlight the aspects you consider most important. Prepare a commentary in the form of a podcast or vlog on the topic 'The Gig Economy – The Future of Working Life'. Then record your commentary.

j) Present your podcasts and/or vlogs and give each other criteria-based feedback