In Runt, young Annie Shearer and her dog try to win a lucrative dog agility competition in London. The prize money would be enough to pay off her parents’ overdraft at the bank and save the family farm.  

Many obstacles stand in their way. There’s Fergus Fink, an unscrupulous dog handler. Earl Robert-Barren, a greedy land-owner intent on acquiring the Shearer property. And a strange quirk: Runt will only obey Annie’s commands when nobody else is watching. Annie must be resilient to overcome these challenges.   

Describing Annie, author and screenwriter Craig Silvey said: “She's a very determined, robust, resilient, young character, and I felt an affinity with her. I hope that people connect with Annie, and appreciate this thread of friendship and care, and resilience and compassion that she embodies.” 

The family and friends who support Annie on her journey also demonstrate resilience. These characters include Annie’s mother Susie (the nation’s worst baker), her father Bryan (who harbours a secret passion), her daredevil brother Max, her widow grandmother Dolly, and the mysterious retired champion, Bernadette Box. 

As a class, discuss the meaning of the word ‘resilience’ and then identify examples of resilience from the film. In an individual written response, have students reflect on and write about a time that they showed resilience.