Picco
It's eat or be eaten for four cellmates in a German youth prison in Picco, a grimly realistic tale that slowly but surely wades into don't-have-lunch-before-you-watch-this territory. Tyro scribe-helmer Philip Koch emphasizes how the daily grind of life behind bars slowly wears people down to their basest survival instincts. Despite the recent glut of strong prison pics, including A Prophet and R, this soberly shot and straightly acted downer should be able to corner some Euro niche action after strong fest play.
– Boyd Van Hoeij, Variety
Koch’s film, with its green and blue images, tells its story with long shots, can do totally without exaggeration – due to brilliant actors Constantin von Jascheroff, Frederick Lau, Joel Basman, Martin Kiefer – and dissects the group dynamic in a prison cell of four youth inmates. Every scene in the yard and outside the cell is a short gasp for breath in a hermetic circle of cruelty.
– Saarbrücker Zeitung
A technically perfect film with a top notch cast. A survey on violence and homophobia executed so radically that some spectators fled the auditorium.
– Ulrich Kriest, Stuttgarter Zeitung
Duration: 105 min
Dialogue: German
Subtitles: English
Age limit: K18
