Documentary, D 2011, DCP 2k flat & DigiBeta, 65 Min.

KINDER. Fernab jeder soziologischen Studie, der Alltag in einem Kinderheim. Marvin, zehn Jahre, kehrt zu seiner Mutter und der jüngeren Schwester zurück. Wie kann das Familienleben fortgesetzt werden?

KIDS. 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, KIDS expresses the indelibility of a dysfunctional childhood and the resilience of a young mind.

Author & Director: BETTINA BÜTTNER
Cinematography: EDUARD STÜRMER
Editing: EDUARD STÜRMER, BETTINA BÜTTNER
Sound Design & Mixing: CORNELIA BÖHM
Color Grading: EDUARD STÜRMER

Production: BÜTTNER & STÜRMER / UNIVERSITY OF ARTS AND DESIGN KARLSRUHE