Barn

When 12-year-old Lykke (first-time actor Ella Øverbye, a natural) loses her temper with classmate Jamie on the playing field, their altercation—an accident, it seems—leads to his death in hospital. What follows is a deeply intelligent drama that looks at the aftermath of the tragic event as it affects students, parents and teachers. Writer-director Dag Johan Haugerud enlists a large and uniformly excellent ensemble cast to explore issues of guilt, moral ambiguity, and secrets both personal and political. That the English title is Beware of Children gives us a hint of what to expect… The film captured nine Amanda awards (Norway’s equivalent to the Oscar), including Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Actor, and Best Cinematography.

‘Could Dag Johan Haugerud’s second feature be the best 157-minute Norwegian humanist film ever made? … Meticulously unveiling layer after layer of seemingly random and clearly crucial details of the events, Haugerud introduces a group of very human human beings in the process… For most of these utterly well-spent 157 minutes, this work by a significant humanist filmmaker and his thoroughly first-rate cast and crew is a richly rewarding treat to behold.’—Jan Lumholdt, Cineuropa