Sebbe
A sensitive teenage loner contends with bullies at school and abuse from his stressed-out single mom at home in the harrowing Swedish drama Sebbe. Buoyed by intense, emotionally credible performances and confident visuals, this debut feature by Iran-born, Sweden-based writer-helmer Babak Najafi falls in the compassionate social-realist tradition of Andrea Arnold, Ken Loach and the Dardenne brothers.
Barely scraping by, 15-year-old Sebastian (nonpro Sebastian Hiort af Ornas) and his thirtysomething mother, Eva (Melander), share a tiny apartment in a rundown housing estate in a Gothenburg suburb. Although the boy obviously adores her, she's prone to calling him names and telling him he wasn't wanted.
Small for his age and friendless, Sebbe is mercilessly tormented by a clique of boys who make his school life a living hell. His sole comfort comes from his talent for converting discarded junk into functional objects.
(...) Shooting on location with a wintry blue-green palette, lenser Simon Pramsten frames his wide shots to underscore Sebbe's feelings of isolation and alienation. Also notable in the sleek tech package is the ominous industrial-noise score.
Alissa Simon, Screen International
Duration: 83 min
Dialogue: Swedish
Subtitles: English
Age limit: K15
