SYNOPSIS

Twelve-year-old Flo tries to sleep, her father's harsh cough keeps her awake. As her big brother Lucas packs his military bag the next morning, Flo gets home dirty, so he helps her get clean before their fathers return. Lucas notices her burnt shoulder. He immediately packs her things and tells her to go with him, but she refuses. As their father arrives home, Lucas leaves the house, only to secretly return the same evening, plagued by a guilty conscience. He lies down next to his little sister, trying to be there for her. She finally falls asleep in his presence. The next morning she wakes up alone.

Directors note

Many people's attachment, depression, anxiety and aggression problems have their origins in traumatic childhood experiences. According to UNICEF, corporal punishment by parents or guardians is part of everyday life for six out of ten children worldwide.

Violence in films and series is omnipresent. The depiction is usually explicit, sensational or even glorifying in order to meet the demands of a global, highly desensitized audience.

I want to show a film that manages to address the subject of child abuse respectfully without going into the conflict too much or being voyeuristic. I deliberately don't want to show any violence, but rather tell a story that focuses on the unconditional love of two siblings, a relationship characterized by despair, admiration and intimacy.