Interviews – Page 4 – European Children's Film Association

Katrin Milhahn about NIGHT FOREST

“We did some crazy stuff”

On the first day of the summer vacation, best buddies Paul and Max sneak out of their homes and venture into the wilderness. They are on a mission to find a legendary cave hidden in the mountains. The boys follow the traces of Paul’s missing father, who is seen as a madman by everyone in the village. To find the path to the cave, the boys must decrypt his notes about a local legend. As they blaze their trails through the deep forest and steep mountains, both boys experience a newfound sense of freedom and light heartedness.

Barbara Kronenberg about MISSION ULJA FUNK

“Comedy comes in many disguises”

Ulja Funk… the name sounds different, cool, almost… funky. Which is not the first impression you get when meeting this rather nerdy girl with a passion for astronomy and a habit of speaking her mind. Her quest is now to travel to Belarus and observe the impact of an asteroid, which she does in a stolen car, with an underage classmate behind the wheel, while being chased by a bunch of religious fanatics.

Elizabeth D Costa about BANGLA SURF GIRLS

“If it tastes like sand, you have to clean it”

In Cox’s Bazar, on the Bangladesh coast, a young girl is riding the waves on her surfboard, all confidence and grace. “All my dreams are about surfing”, says Shobe. But those dreams might be different from the future that is awaiting her and her friends. Now that the girls are growing up, sooner or later choices need to be made, and conflicts will be unavoidable. In BANGLA SURF GIRLS Canadian filmmaker Elizabeth D Costa captures this gang of young surfettes at a crucial moment in their lives.

Miryam Bouchard about MY VERY OWN CIRCUS

“Slicing tomatoes when preparing a sandwich”

When your father is a clown, does that mean your life is about nothing but fun and laughter? Not for 12 year old Laura. She is a good student and a well organised kid, dreaming of a more steady lifestyle instead of this hectic, nomadic caravan existence. For Bill it is not easy to accept how his daughter has her own dreams to fulfil, that might greatly differ from his own. “This story is inspired by my own life. My father was an actor, clown, poet, an artist and rebellious free spirit, while I dreamed about the more regular lifestyle that I saw with other kids in the schoolyard,” says Canadian director Miryam Bouchard.

Slater Jewell-Kemker about YOUTH UNSTOPPABLE

“We also need a more angry voice”

In her first feature documentary YOUTH UNSTOPPABLE, Canadian activist Slater Jewell-Kemker paints a portrait of the global “youth for climate” movement. Since she first took part in a UN climate conference at the age of 15, she has been capturing her impressions on camera over a period of 12 years. The result is a unique chronicle of the development of a political mass movement.

Susanne Kim about CABINETS OF WONDER

“Whenever I feel stressed, I watch guinea pigs”

How to summarise CABINETS OF WONDER in a few sentences? It’s more than ‘just a film’. It feels like a poem, or an opera, or a combination of both. German director Susanne Kim: “I would describe it as a free documentary, playing with fictional elements, staging, poetry, sounds, music… the things that children include intuitively in everything they do.”

Rupert Baynham & Bertrand Desrochers about A BRIXTON TALE

“We’re shouting at them: don’t do it!”

Leah has a talent for visual arts, documenting her life with clips and stories shot with her small handycam. One day in the streets of Brixton, she catches the introverted Benji in her lens and sparks are flying. His powerful presence will lift up her next cinema project. But Leah’s portrayal of Benji is driving a wedge between the two, as she doesn’t face the consequences of her ambition.

Linda Hambäck about THE APE STAR

Cheaper for the poor, expensive for the rich

Jonna, a well-behaving orphan girl, dreams of finding a mother. That wish might come true when one day a gorilla comes knocking, asking to adopt her. It’s not a typical situation, but ultimately they are having great times together. The odd couple naturally arouses suspicion among the decent citizens in town, but Jonna and Gorilla will gracefully disprove all prejudice, in a moving Swedish animated film by Linda Hambäck.