Un monde (Playground)

Set in Belgium, the film follows 7-year-old Nora and her big brother Abel going back to school. When Nora witnesses Abel being bullied by other kids, she rushes to protect him by warning their father. But Abel forces her to remain silent. Caught in a conflict of loyalty, Nora will ultimately try to find her place, torn between children’s and adult’s worlds.

"A gut-punch of a film that is not so much a portrait of schoolyard bullying as it is a sensory immersion straight into the heart of children abusing other children physically and emotionally, Un monde is a sit-up-and-take-notice blend of outstandingly natural performances enhanced by spot-on cinematic choices. Told almost entirely from the height of its young protagonists, the film plunges viewers into a world of seemingly unavoidable unease, grabbing us from the first frame and rarely letting up its relentless focus on stoic suffering versus daring to upset the status quo. Tough subject matter sensitively distinguishes Belgian newcomer Laura Wandel as as a talent to watch." - Screen Daily