Opening 13 Sep 2018
Directed by:
Nanouk Leopold
Writing credits:
Stienette Bosklopper
Principal actors:
Naomi Velissarion, Wim Opbrouck, Dana Marineci, Cosmina Stratan
The name Cobain sounds cool to every inspiring teenage musician but Cobain (Bas Keizer), a young, 15-year-old boy abandoned by his mother, can’t understand why his mother would name him after a guy who killed himself. Living in the social service network, Cobain finally is given a second chance when the social worker is excited to have found a foster family willing to take him in. Here is his chance for security and a future. But when his real mother Mia (Naomi Velissarion) doesn’t show up to see him off, he becomes concerned. Searching for his mother through the endless city streets, he runs into several acquaintances, who lead him off track and inform him, that his mother isn’t worth it. When he finally does find her, the viewer sees a young, pregnant woman who is heavily addicted to drugs and alcohol and basically living on the street. Cobain realizes that he has to rescue her.
This is a coming-of-age story where Cobain is forced to grown up too fast, but it is also a film where the main character is a modern-day hero, because he takes on a responsibility that most teenagers wouldn’t do.
The cinematography dives deep into the emotional feelings and struggles of the characters while the music stays simple and feels like a sad ballad singing a song of lost youth. This bitter sweet portrayal of a young man attempting to bond to a broken soul called his mother is a must see. This film opened at the Berlinale this year and was nominated for Best Foreign film from the Netherlands for the Oscars. 94 minutes (Shelly Schoeneshoefer)
