Documentary
In Bettina Büttner’s exquisitely lucid documentary Kinder (Kids), childhood dysfunction, loneliness, and pent-up emotion run wild at an all-boys group home in southern Germany. The children interned here include ten-year-olds Marvin and Tommy. Marvin, fiddling with a mini plastic Lego sword, explains matter-of-factly to the camera, “This is a knife. You use it to cut stomachs open.” Dennis, who is even younger, is seen in a hysteric fit, mimicking some pornographic scene. Boys will be boys, but innocence is disproportionately spare here. Choosing not to dwell on the harsh specifics, Büttner reveals the disconcerting manner in which traumatic episodes can manifest themselves in the mundane — a game of Lego, Hide and Seek, or Truth or Dare. Filmed in lapidary black-and-white, Büttner’s fascinating film sheds light on childhood from the boys’ characteristically disadvantaged perspective — one not yet fully cognizant — leaving much ethically to ponder over.
MOVIE COMMENTS
SIMILAR MOVIES
Survival in Berlin-Neukölln
Disobedience
Yakuza and Constitution
Germany in Autumn
Extravíos
Crushed
Spellbound
Pushkar Puran
In the Grip of Gazprom
Africa Light / Gray Zone
The Negotiators – How to Make Peace
Allons enfants !
Où sont les noirs ?
Cancre ?
Sounds Like Teen Spirit
Shards of Light
Mário Eloy - A Runaway Painter
Please Vote for Me
Trinkerkinder
LIKE
SIMILAR MOVIES
Survival in Berlin-Neukölln
IMDB 2 | Nov , 2017
About Stefan Stricker, who calls himself Juwelia and has been running a gallery on Sanderstraße in Berlin Neukölln for many years. Every weekend he invites guests to shamelessly recount from his life and to sing poetic songs written with his friend from Hollywood Jose Promis. Juwelia has been poor and sexy all her life, has always struggled for recognition, but only partially.Disobedience
IMDB 8 | Apr , 2016
Disobedience tells the David vs. Goliath tale of front line leaders battling for a livable world. Filmed in the Philippines, Turkey, Germany, Canada, Cambodia and the United States, it weaves together these riveting stories with insights from the most renowned voices on social justice and climate. Disobedience is personal, passionate and powerful - the stakes could not be higher, nor the mission more critical.Yakuza and Constitution
IMDB 0 | Jan , 2016
Since the enactment of the Anti-Boryokudan Act and Yakuza exclusion ordinances, the number of Yakuza members reduced to less than 60,000. In the past 3 years, about 20,000 members have left from Yakuza organizations. However, just numbers can’t tell you the reality. What are they thinking, how are they living now? The camera zooms in on the Yakuza world. Are there basic human rights for them?Germany in Autumn
IMDB 6.2 | Mar , 1978
Nine fictitious documentaries and films reflect the mood of late 1970s Germany, particularly the two-month period in 1977 when a businessman was kidnapped by the RAF (Red Army Faction). The kidnap had been made to orchestrate the release of the original leaders of the RAF, aka the Baader-Meinhof.Extravíos
IMDB 0 | Jan , 2010
Crushed
IMDB 0 | Apr , 2024
Through a powerful visual metaphor, Camille Vigny gives a first-person account of the domestic violence she suffered. The images and text interact with remarkable precision to convey the devastating impact of the cataclysm. It's a political gesture, brimming with courage, an icy cry that takes your breath away.Spellbound
IMDB 7.3 | Mar , 2002
This documentary follows 8 teens and pre-teens as they work their way toward the finals of the Scripps Howard national spelling bee championship in Washington D.C.Pushkar Puran
IMDB 0 | Oct , 2017
An attempt to engage with the historical, mythical and the contemporary worlds of the city of PushkarIn the Grip of Gazprom
IMDB 8 | Feb , 2023
The war in the Ukraine has changed the way many European countries view Russian politics. Suddenly it became clear how dependent countries had become on Russian gas imports for decades and what Vladimir Putin was up to. However, no country needs more gas than Germany. It was only after Russia's invasion of the Ukraine that the German government realized that Russia had long used gas as a weapon to impose its will on states. The instrument created for this purpose is the natural gas production company GAZPROM. So how did Germany become so dependent on Russian gas? The documentary shows how, over several decades and several changes of government, a broad alliance of politicians and business representatives did everything possible to secure Germany's energy supply with cheap Russian gas, while the Kremlin's foreign policy became increasingly aggressive and the warnings of experts went unheeded.Africa Light / Gray Zone
IMDB 5.5 | Jan , 2010
"Africa Light" - as white local citizens call Namibia. The name suggests romance, the beauty of nature and promises a life without any problems in a country where the difference between rich and poor could hardly be greater. Namibia does not give that impression of it. If you look at its surface it seems like Africa in its most innocent and civilized form. It is a country that is so inviting to dream by its spectacular landscape, stunning scenery and fascinating wildlife. It has a very strong tourism structure and the government gets a lot of money with its magical attraction. But despite its grandiose splendor it is an endless gray zone as well. It oscillates between tradition and modernity, between the cattle in the country and the slums in the city. It shuttles from colonial times, land property reform to minimum wage for everyone. It fluctuates between socialism and cold calculated market economy.The Negotiators – How to Make Peace
IMDB 0 | Oct , 2022
“Negotiators, how to make peace” is a documentary that takes a penetrating look at the identity and evolution of people who seek solutions to armed conflicts in places such as Colombia, Mexico, South Sudan and the Balkans.Allons enfants !
IMDB 0 | Nov , 2017
While some of them flirt with the limits, others are dropouts or in school reintegration, they are seventeen students to follow the Defense Class at the Japy vocational school in Lyon. An option of two hours per week provided by the military to these high school students in great difficulty. School and army, a rapprochement that may seem unlikely. In a society in loss of bearings, this course can allow these young people in lack of belonging to redefine "doing Nation". What values can the army instil in them? What will be the real scope?Où sont les noirs ?
IMDB 8 | Mar , 2020
French actors Lucien Jean-Baptiste, Aïssa Maïga, Sonia Rolland, Deborah Lukumuena, Marie-France Malonga, Gary Dourdan and others speak up on the reality of black actors in the French movie industry.Cancre ?
IMDB 0 | Dec , 2017
Sounds Like Teen Spirit
IMDB 6.7 | May , 2009
A 2008 documentary and debut feature film of Bafta-Award nominated director Jamie Jay Johnson. It follows the lives of the participants of the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2007, specifically the entrants from Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus and Georgia. The film sees them proceed from the national finals that saw them crowned the representatives of their country through to the international song festival itself held in Rotterdam, the Netherlands where they each compete against 16 other acts.Shards of Light
IMDB 0 | Oct , 2025
The residents of Bucha, Ukraine, are rebuilding their city from the rubble after surviving the horrors of Russian occupation. A newly married couple, a schoolgirl, a city official, and an elderly housewife have all endured the painful experiences of war, yet they manage to hold onto hope and solidarity. But how do you rebuild in the wake of growing trauma, especially with war still raging in your country? As time hopes for a peaceful life fade, they must grapple with mounting tensions within their communities. Shot over a three-year period, the film is a follow-up to When Spring Came To Bucha, as five protagonists navigate the complex terrain of inner conflicts, trauma, and a longing for justice, posing questions about the future of a society at war.Mário Eloy - A Runaway Painter
IMDB 6.5 | Mar , 1998
Documentary about the life and work of Mário Eloy, one of the greatest painters of the second generation of modernism in Portugal.Please Vote for Me
IMDB 7.5 | Sep , 2007
At Evergreen Primary School in Wuhan, China, a Grade 3 class learns what democracy is when an election for class monitor is being held. Three children are chosen by the teacher as candidates and they have a few days to campaign and convince their classmates to vote for them. The little candidates are seen at school and at home, where their parents do their best to make sure their child will win the election.Trinkerkinder
IMDB 0 | Feb , 2020
Children of alcoholic parents have been fighting for a precarious normality within their family since early childhood. They look after the addicted mother or father and try to stop them from drinking. They are always afraid that someone might find out and put them in a home. They feel guilty or become aggressive, cause problems at school or become addicted themselves - another single and often misunderstood cry for help in a social environment characterized by helplessness, looking away and silence.LIKE
IMDB 1.5 | Nov , 2018
LIKE is an IndieFlix Original documentary that explores the impact of social media on our lives and the effects of technology on the brain. The goal of the film is to inspire us to self-regulate. Social media is a tool and social platforms are a place to connect, share, and care … but is that what's really happening?