Playground (NC) [F-Rated]

72 mins - Belgium 2021 - Subtitles - Dir: Laura Wandel
Starring: Maya Vanderbeque, Günter Duret and Lena Girard Voss
 
Nora, an anxious 7-year-old, must return to school despite her distress and longing to stay with her dad. Despite Nora’s age, she soon becomes responsible for her older brother, Abel, who is being tormented by the other kids. This puts Nora in a quandary – should she tell the adults or remain silent out of solidarity with her brother? Once Nora discovers Abel soaking wet, she feels compelled to take action, but just makes things worse. The authorities at school generally turn a blind eye, and her father remains powerless, kept at a distance from the confines of the school. An eventual confrontation between Nora and Abel leads to a startling climax.
 
+Short Film: ARENA (12 minutes, directed by Helen Warner). Trapped in a vicious circle fuelled by envy and jealousy, a theatre understudy transcends and finally confronts the real source of her dark emotions. This short film will support PLAYGROUND.
 
“Captures with enormous force the very velocity with which children lose empathy when thrown into the jungle of the playground…a powerful, emotionally compelling film” Film International