International Film Festival For Children And Youth Zlin

One of the revelations and big winners of the Zlin Film Festival, which concluded its 50th anniversary last week, was the Swedish/Finnish co-production SEBBE. The film, written and directed by Babak Najah, won the Golden Slipper Award in the International Competition for Feature Films for Youth category.

The intensely dramatic film follows the emotional travails of a teenage boy named Sebastian, Sebbe for short, as he grows up much too fast while being bullied at school and dealing with his emotionally unstable mother.

Sebastian Hiort af Arnas gives a profound performance as the youngster who keeps his emotions locked inside while he copes with pressures at school and at home. This young actor is a true natural and gives a compelling and emotionally intense portrayal of a young man who is on the brink of adulthood and yet still has the emotional needs of a young boy.

Contrasting scenes of quiet intensity with emotionally complex and strident sequences, the film brings the audience to the conflicted center of a young man who must confront challenges that he is not yet equipped to handle. How, in fact, does one handle hearing from one's own mother that he was not planned and therefore not wanted? In an intense exchange that provides the climax of the story, the emotional truths come out and it is clear that for Sebbe to have any kind of future, he must grow beyond his mother and begin to face life on his own.

The film's ending shot of the young Sebbe on a bus, heading into adulthood, was unexpectedly moving and full of promise. As with all excellent films, we wonder what will happen to the characters when the final credits begin to roll. This is not the last time we will hear from this talented writer/director and his charismatic star.

Sandy Mandelberger, Festival Dailies Editor