Eleven-year-old Lu is living in a foster home when her long-lost mother, Karina, shows up unexpectedly and takes her on a wild road trip in a beat-up sports car – all the way to her grandma in Poland. Lu soon finds out it’s all or nothing with Karina when she gets pulled into a Bonnie and Clyde-like fantasy. But reality quickly catches up with them, forcing them to decide what they are willing to do to stay together forever.

This is the premise of Zara Dwinger’s debut feature, Kiddo [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Zara Dwinger
scheda film], set to world-premiere in the Generation Kplus strand of the 2023 Berlinale (16-26 February).

Speaking to Cineuropa, the director said: “When co-writer Nena van Driel and I decided that we wanted to tell a story about having an eccentric and unconventional parent, that’s when Kiddo began to grow. We were captivated by this subject on a personal level and wanted to explore how dealing with this as a child can be both disappointing and simultaneously crazy enough to enrich your life. Female outcasts are a recurring type of character in my work; women just outside of the norm.

“In Kiddo, I explore how the struggle with mental health and fitting in with the world manifests itself in a child-parent relationship. Those darker themes were melded into a playful, larger-than-life tale where sadness and unease go hand in hand with fun and humour. That was important, as this is not only a film about an 11-year-old, but also for them. We cannot wait to finally share this story at this year’s Berlinale,” she added.

Kiddo was produced by Layla Meijman and Maarten van der Ven for Amsterdam-based Studio Ruba, in co-production with Dutch broadcaster NTR. Poland’s SHIPsBOY is the service producer. SKOOP Media is handling its international sales.

Check out our exclusive trailer below: