IDFA Junior

Programme

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  With Grace

  Thirteen-year-old Grace lives with her parents and eight siblings in rural Kenya. Rain means everything to this family because it makes the crops grow and provides food.
  
  Grace takes us back to her early childhood, to a time when disaster struck the family. A period of drought, during which little Grace feared that her father would have to leave home to find work in the city, was followed by a storm that destroyed their makeshift roof of sticks and corrugated sheets. “The rain that used to cheer us up had suddenly become dangerous”, explains Grace in voice-over.
  
  But even in the midst of a crisis, there is fun to be had, and the close-knit family ultimately recovers in this upbeat tale that also reveals the impact of climate change on small agrarian communities.

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  What's the Film About?

  A personal, candid and moving short film by a mother who wants to tell her son Rehaan (11) and daughter Mitra (8) about an uncomfortable subject: inappropriate touch. She chooses to do this during a camping trip, when the three are physically close to each other, first in the car and then in a cozy tent.
  
  Mother and filmmaker Poorva Bhat doesn't make it easy for herself - she gives the children room to respond in a natural, defensive way and to question her. This happens with humor and self-reflection, and leads to discussions about her role as a parent and the dynamics between her and the children, and between the children themselves. Her daughter, for example, accuses her of favoring Rehaan.
  
  The process of filmmaking also plays a role in the conversation, but doesn't disturb the intimacy of the family. Not even when Mitra keeps forgetting that she's supposed to pretend the camera and the person behind it are not there.

• Anne vliegt (Flying Anne)

  Looking at 11-year-old Anne riding her bike, climbing fences or jumping on the trampoline, you see a normal, cheerful girl. But not everything is as it seems. Anne has Tourette syndrome, which means she sometimes has to spin around in circles (always to the right) or lick everything in sight. That might be a tomato while doing the grocery shopping, but it could also be the cash register or a redeemable bottle. Anne is ashamed of her behavior - she wants to be able to explain what's wrong with her and does her best to keep her tics under wraps for an entire school day. Longer than that is just too hard: "Like when you're underwater and you need to take a breath, that's how it feels." In addition to her tics, Anne is also more emotional than other kids her age. "When I get mad, I get three times as mad as you do." Despite her problem, Anne does what she can to go through life as normally as possible. She enjoys playing with her friends, who know her and don't require any explanations. "They don't even notice it anymore."
  
  The film will be screened (Dutch spoken, without subs) as Classic during IDFA Junior.