Sticks and Stones
Trailer [ov st en]
by Martin Skovbjerg
Simon’s stressed-out mother has moved the family from Copenhagen to Vesterby, a small town somewhere out in the sticks. Feeling alone and like an outsider, Simon is befriended by classmate Bjarke, a charismatic alpha male who seems to have it all: a huge house, wealthy father and a sexy, chilled-out mum. A seemingly anodyne school project sees the teenage boys mentally unleashed, employing increasingly daring and confrontational methods to probe beneath the veneer of calm in their local community and, in time, at home. Using surprising and challenging plot devices, Skovbjerg powerfully explores the impact of dysfunctional family dynamics within a fractured society. The superb camerawork and sound design create a sense of immediacy and claustrophobia, perfectly highlighting the troubling undercurrents of violence, dangerous sexuality and economic unease.