2011 | 65 min | Germany
Filmmaker in Person | U.S. Premiere
As the Sun’s rays stream through the palatial Bavarian woods, four young boys dart among the trees, engrossed in a joyful game of hide-and-seek. These brief moments of innocent abandon provide a stark contrast to the reality of their lives in a German children’s home, which is rife with aggressive teasing, loneliness, and unfocused anger. First-time filmmaker Bettina Büttner spent three months observing a selection of interned boys, capturing them in moments of startling candor. Intrigued by the preternaturally thoughtful 10-year-old Marvin, she continues to follow him after he returns home, where he tries to fit in among the family who left him scarred. Shot in crisp black-and-white, Kinder expresses the indelibility of a dysfunctional childhood and the resilience of a young mind.
Co-presented by Goethe-Institut, New York
