13-year old Rikke sees Bea, the new girl in her class, as a challenge. After an endurance test to find which of them can lie longer in a circle of flames, they become friends. However, as a result of some unfortunate truths and half-truths, the friendship falters. Rikke feels that Bea has let her down, and resolves to continue the rivalry between them, but now in a less physical, more artful way. In addition we meet Rikke’s elder sister Ninni, who has been in England to learn the language, and has had to leave her great love, a man twelve years her senior. The film is also about the problems Rikke encounters in fulfilling the expectations of those around her as she approaches womanhood.
The Nature of Nicholas 2002
1h 30min | Drama, Horror, Romance | 24 August 2002 (Canada)
Storyline:
The Nature of Nicholas is a surreal fable that follows twelve-year-old Nicholas as he struggles with an intense attraction to his best friend, Bobby. Nicholas is obsessed with his friend Bobby. Bobby’s feelings are less clear. At times he seems to share Nicholas’s fascination, but then appears more interested in making inroads with the girls at school. All this leaves young Nicholas very confused. When images of Nicholas’s absent father start to appear to him, the boy is understandably frightened. This curious figure gives Nicholas the impression he is pressing his young son closer to the girls in his life and away from Bobby. This only leads to increased anxiety and fear in Nicholas. Fearing that Bobby is drifting away from him, Nicholas takes a chance and kisses him. Bobby is taken aback and storms out. Because of his shame, Bobby undergoes a type of ‘splitting’ where a decrepit, ghoulish version of him is separated from his healthy self. Nicholas is immediately drawn to this gruesome Bobby, and begins to secretly take care of the creature. However, Nicholas cannot keep the creature hidden forever and must eventually face his own feelings.
A group of young boys are stranded alone on an island. Left to fend for themselves, they must take on the responsibilities of adults, even if they are not ready to do so. Inevitably, two factions form: one group (lead by Ralph) want to build shelters and collect food, whereas Jack’s group would rather have fun and HUNT; illustrating the difference between civilization and savagery.
Nachttocht 1982
1h 3min | Drama | TV Movie 21 February 1982
Storyline:
12 year old Thomas ( Abel Claassen) and his quest for friendship and love. He takes rowing lessons and grows rather fond of his teacher…who, according to his mother, is unlike the bully trainers in the other clubs…he really knows how to work with children. Thomas idolizes his trainer – and when the boy discovers that the person he felt such a love for lied to him in order to sleep with his mother – his heart is broken. It’s hard for him to understand why his trainer would prefer to be intimate with his mother than to be with him…
This tenderly romantic film tells the story of Steve, a young man in a British prep school, as he struggles with coming out and falling in love with the class jock, John… who, amazingly, falls in love with him as well.
Le Monde De Ludovic 1993
De wereld van Ludovic (original title)
1h 31min | Drama | TV Movie 2 February 1993
Storyline:
Ludovic, a young boy neglected by his artsy parents, falls in love with Sophie, the daughter of a piano teacher. They meet in secret places in the city. Not long after Sophie’s father finds them naked together in her room, Ludovic is sent away to spend time with his grandparents. Sophie runs away from home to join him, and they hide along the seashore and in abandoned buildings. After they are found, their parents try to keep them separate, but they both fall into deep depressions.
Das Jahr Der Ersten Kusse 2002
Das Jahr der ersten Küsse (original title)
1h 34min | Comedy, Drama | 3 October 2002 (Germany)
Storyline:
31 year-old Tristan remembers the time when he was 15 and had just hit puberty. But he is not alone in this, he is with a large group of friends: Specki, a fat kid who is always stuffing himself, Streusel, a cheeky boy covered with spots, Tümai, a pretty Turkish girl, Kerstin, best friend of Tümai and very sporty, Elrond, with a heavy stutter, but regardless extremely popular and good looking, Lars and Simone, so far the only couple in the class who spend most of their time smooching and Long Jana, a girl who is at least 6 foot tall and extremely skinny. Tristan has just developed a huge crush on Kerstin, but is too shy to do anything about it. As if that weren’t enough, his parents, both psychoanalysts, separate – which puts an abrupt end to childhood naivety. Tristan is supposed to move town at the end of the school year. But time is too short to grow grey hair. The friends experience awkwardness at dance school, masturbation and first fantasies of the opposite sex, amateur school theatre, the first ?real? party with lots of alcohol, strip poker etc. The biggest interest is of course to get ahead with the girls which often ends up in very funny situations. Their mutual enemy is Simone’s father who beats her until Tristan finally takes up the courage to stop him. On Tristan’s last day, when all his friends come to say goodbye, Kerstin is missing. To his surprise she waits on the swing in front of Tristan’s new home. This is the beginning of a long, deep love, which leaves Tristan with the knowledge that he experienced something extraordinary, which most people never will.
A young man returns to his family farm, after a long stay in ex-gay conversion therapy, and is torn between the expectations of his emotionally distant father, and the memories of a past, loving relationship he has tried to bury.
