Home - Opening film
Fien Troch
What would an opening be without a pre-opening? One hour before the official kick-off, we’re inviting you to a social get-together. After everyone has had enough time to meet old friends and new acquaintances, at 08 p.m., we’re ceremoniously opening the Film Festival. Max Mayer, actor at the ensemble of Schauspiel Frankfurt will lead us through the evening. As our opening film this year, we’ve chosen the exceptional Home by the Flemish director Fien Troch, for which she won the Silver Lion for best director at the Venice Film Festival’s Orizzonti section.
Synopsis
Annoyed teachers, overwhelmed parents and – especially – hormonal teenagers: Kevin, having just been released from juvenile detainment, still does not have his anger under control. Lina likes to sulk and does not take truthfulness and trust very seriously. John cannot handle the daily madness with his disordered mother anymore. What sounds like a classic teenage drama becomes an intense auteur film in Home, dealing with generational conflicts, violence and abuse. Handheld and phone camera footage by Flemish director Fien Troch strongly convey a group of pubescent teenagers’ path of self-discovery. Each one feels misunderstood in their own way. This connects them. As cries for help stay unheard, the teenagers take their destinies into their own hands. Suddenly, they must ask themselves: to tell the truth or keep silent forever?
In Home, Fien Troch works with adolescent actors without camera/screen experience. She cast many of them on the streets. The undisguised, partly improvised play of the teenagers shapes the film’s authentic, documental character as much as the chosen image format. With the academy ratio of 3:4, long banned from cinemas, unsteady camera movement and the inclusion of phone footage in portrait format, Troch imitates the viewing habits of the protagonists used to the screens of their mobile devices.
Home celebrated its premiere at the 73rd Venice Film Festival and was award the prize for Best Director in the section "Orizzonti". The Belgian Film Critics Association UCC awarded Home the André Cavens Award for Best Film in 2017. Additionally, Home received an award for Best Flemish Film at the 8th Magritte Awards.
"Troch perceptively identifies the fine line between benevolent unity and unintended bad influence in peer social networks — both human and online — as the narrative pushes these kids into deeper waters of risk and wrongdoing." (Variety)
3 April 2018
19:00 h,
More information
Direction | Fien Troch |
Year | B 2016 |
Duration | 103 min |
Language | Dutch language, German subtitles |
Production | Antonino Lombardo // Co-Produktion: Jacques-Henri, Olivier Bronckart |
Cast | Sebastian Van Dun, Mistral Guidotti, Karlijn Sileghem, Loïc Bellemans, Els Deceukelier u.a |
Camera | Frank van den Eeden |
Script | Fien Troch |
Editing | Nico Leunen |
Music | Johnny Jewe |