Opening 14 Nov 2019
Directed by:
Christina Ebelt
Writing credits:
Christina Ebelt, Franziska Krentzien
Principal actors:
Franziska Hartmann, Claudio Magno, Kai Ivo Baulitz, Nicole Johannhanwahr-Balk, Davina Donaldson
Melli (Franziska Hartmann) and her son Ben (Claudio Magno) are homeless. While living in a tent in the woods and using public facilities in town (Cologne / Germany), they try to keep up appearances as well as they can. If anybody would find out it would make matters worse. She is a flight attendant with an irregular work schedule and still on trial period. Ben attends school and goes to childcare in the afternoon.
This impressive social drama shows it can happen to anyone and it takes little for a difficult situation to become a desperate one. Better than a documentary or docudrama could, this film exposes how ill equipped society is to support people in need and to help them get back on their feet. Social services lack resources and caseworkers are overwhelmed. But especially laws and regulations are inflexible and won't take specific circumstances into account. Friends and family that want to come to the rescue are faced with difficult moral questions when they reach their limits and have to decide how much they can afford to help.
Christina Ebelt (director / writer) points effectively to problems that urgently need solving. She accomplishes this without playing the "sympathy card". Melli is not that likeable and definitely not demure — as some might want her to behave. But we are "on her team" hoping humanity will prevail. She represents a growing number of people who have to deal with such situations that threaten their very existence. (Carola A)
