Interviews – Page 12 – European Children's Film Association

The BILLIE BLUE Team

“Summer is a woman!”

If feminism starts with giving compliments, then BILLIE BLUE is a truly feminist film. Director Mariloup Wolfe, screenwriter Sarah-Maude Beauchesne and lead actress Lilianne Skelly continuously pat each other on the back, and the way they express their proudness about each other – rightly so! – and the film – rightly so! – is contagious. The film’s sprawling, summery atmosphere continues perfectly on the terrace of a café in Zlin, where BILLIE BLUE celebrated its international premiere at the festival.

Aga Borzym about GIRLS’ STORIES

“They will never be as fragile again”

Two friends meet at the playground. Now, on the eve of adolescence, Jagoda and Zuzia have a lot to discuss. The answers to life’s bigger questions that adults can’t give them, maybe they can find with each other. There’s pimples, rebellion, first love, stupid rules at school, difficult dilemmas at home, and – above all – their first periods. When will it happen and how will it be? Jagoda and Zuzia introduce us to a world that every woman remembers and any boy watching this film can try to unravel.

Katarina Kerekesova about THE WEBSTERS MOVIE

“Yesterday I killed a fly”

Some people start screaming as soon as they see a spider. Anyone watching THE WEBSTERS MOVIE can hardly sit and scream for 70 minutes. Maybe ‘laugh and enjoy’ is a better option? Because the encounter with this lovable spider family is pleasant and carefree.

Boris Paval Conen & cast about DOJO

“There are no warning signs at every street corner”

The first time Brandon enters a dojo – a judo school – is on the occasion of a burglary. Caught in the act by the judo teacher, he can escape punishment if he promises to come and train and to distance himself from Billy’s gang, involved in robberies and petty crime in the neighbourhood. The proposal sounds tempting, but Brandon does not want to let down his best friend Stefano. Making the right choices becomes increasingly difficult.

Parida Tantiwasadakran about YOUNG PEOPLE, OLD PEOPLE & NOTHING IN BETWEEN

“Once they went on a walk, holding hands”

Probably 7 year old Juice has never heard the word ‘Alzheimer’ before, but she surely realises something is changing about Grandma Lovely. As if her thoughts are all the time slipping through her fingers. Now Juice has a mission: to help Grandma Lovely to retain as many memories as possible. In the seclusion of a quiet countryside home, every memory becomes a small treasure.

Colin Ludvic Racicot about WHERE RABBITS COME FROM

“What does a rabbit see when it goes into the magician’s hat?”

How to find tenderness in a cold and grey world? The atmosphere on the streets in the opening scene of WHERE RABBITS COME FROM, directed by Colin Ludvic Racicot in his studio in Montreal, is both cosy and hostile. Like Montmartre on a dark evening… a very dark evening! In this depressing, dystopian world, a widowed rabbit father defies the authorities to bring a sense of wonder into his daughter’s life.

Wendy & Domien Huyghe about SEA SPARKLE

“A camera that feels like the sea”

Lena’s life is suddenly turned upside down when her father dies in a shipping accident. Together with him, two crew members went down. When Lena feels that her father might be blamed for the drama, she is captivated by a strange thought: perhaps a mysterious sea monster lurking in the North Sea is driving ships into the abyss… While SEA SPARKLE takes us from the shore deeper and deeper into the ocean, the film also digs deeper into the young girl’s emotional confrontations with her friends and family.

Kajsa Næss about TITINA

“This is our vain vision on heroism”

In 1926, Italian engineer Umberto Nobile received a phone call from the famous Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen: would he be willing to build an airship and go on an expedition to the North Pole? And yes, his dog Titina can join. As good companions they start their journey, but as the expedition continues both proud men are more and more at each other’s throats. Titina sits in her basket and observes… as the only one on board keeping her cool.