Ania Winiarska
United Kingdom | 2011 | 27 min
Language : English
Subtitle : French

At the start of the film, we see Dylan kick his shoes across the road. At the end, from the top of a hill, he throws stones at the town spread out at his feet. Between the two, the activities that make up his life: playing with friends, wandering the streets, observing the adult world. The film illustrates Dylan’s marginalization, with the human and social landscape of Belfast as a backdrop.

The first and last shots of the film are brimming with rebellious energy. In the first scene, Dylan, the protagonist, kicks his shoes across the road; at the end, from a hilltop, he throws stones on the town spread at his feet. Between the two, the activities that make up his life: playing with friends, wandering the streets, observing the adult world. The director follows him using a wide-angle lens, often without moving, letting the action unfold before the camera. The lack of depth accentuates the character, with the human and social landscape of Belfast as a backdrop, emphasizing his marginalization. “I came to Belfast to take some photographs, and discovered Education by Choice, a sort of last-chance saloon for teenagers expelled from school. I saw Dylan, and something clicked. All the other boys had the same look – overcoats, crew cuts, earrings – and there was a young lad with his hair in a mess dressed in an oversized military tunic. There was something attractive about him” (AW).

Luciano Barisone

Translation BMP Translations

Trailer