CHILDHOOD FRIENDS

When a paedophile is asked to take care of a child.

The former childhood friends Paul and Franz have not seen each other in ages. But now waiting in the kindergarten for Franz son something seems off. Out of the blue Franz asks Paul if he could take care of his son on the weekend. He refuses and as Franz keeps trying to convince Paul, Paul confesses he is a paedophile. That is a pity.

As Paul wants to leave Franz tells him to stay and calls his wife asking for her advice who they could ask to babysit. But no one comes in mind … except from Paul. The one who does not want to take the risk and seems to be the only responsible one. But still maybe there is a chance. They start asking him questions trying to persuade him.

It is a question of how much trust are you willing to give a paedophile and how far does friendship go. A tragicomedy about a severe topic balancing between seriousness and irony.

Director: Jana Filzhuth
Germany, 2021
7:45 min
nominiert für Best Short Film 20MINMAX 2022

Jana Filzhuth was born and raised in Berlin. When she studied psychology in Austria she kept following her film passion. After her graduation she moved back to her hometown where she worked as an assistant director and where she directed her own short films. With her background in psychology she managed to balance the severe topic of paedophilia between humour and seriousness.

Jana Filzhuth, Director of Childhood Friends (2021)

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