Made with support from the Danish Film Institute's Film Workshop for young talents, "Son" was honoured on Friday at Berlinale's Generation 14plus awards ceremony. The film received a Special Mention from the International Jury.
Kristoffer Kiørboe's short film tells the story about 13-year-old August who is saddled with more responsibility than he can bear when his father gives him a puppy. August's parents are divorced and the wounds from the breakup are still fresh, especially for August's mother who won't let him keep the puppy. For August, his father's gift morphs into something more than a fuzzy pet, becoming a conflicted package of guilt, anger, divided loyalties and affection.
"Children shouldn't be responsible for anything else besides being children," says the director. Read interview Of Puppies and Men.
Kristoffer Kiørboe made his directorial debut in 2003. He later enrolled in the National Film School of Denmark, where he graduated in 2009. "Son," Kiørboe's first purely fictional film, is produced by Nina Helveg for Frame By Frame with support from the DFI Film Workshop.
Son
A coming of age short film about 13 year old August. His mother is devastated by the recent divorce from the father, and refuses to let August keep the puppy his father gave him for his birthday. It hurts August to see his mother in pain and he feels responsible for her, but he loves the puppy nearly as much as he misses his father.