Children of Malmö: Themes of Youth, On and Off Screen

In this report from Malmö, French critic Madelyn Most recalls that the youth-oriented subject matter of many films was enthusiastically received by young audiences. Two films, Nipster and Beef, stand out in this collection.

Sitting in a cinema and watching films with youngsters aged 5 to 16 was uplifting, energising, informative, and fun. Watching them react to images on the screen, hearing their shrieks of laughter, cheering, clapping when their favourite character took a victory lap and united the community, tricked a dishonest religious authoritarian figure, defended themselves against a dangerous bully, or received their first kiss in a moment of confused romantic disillusion was a revelation. Each morning, as many as 700 boisterous, enthusiastic school children from all around Malmö bounced into the auditorium for a day of adventure; in total, approximately 12,000 attended the festival.

We saw films warning of social media’s negative influence on children and of its power to change their attitudes, opinions, and social values. Discovering what caught this young audience’s attention and what animated them the most was a valuable wake-up call.

The majority of the films we watched were female-centric, dwelling on issues preoccupying teenage girls, so it was surprising to see how attentive the young boys were and how eager they were to ask questions afterwards. Many films portrayed single-parent families with mothers struggling to manage the demands of work versus parenting, and not having enough time to pay more attention to their children’s needs.

Themes ranged from jealously guarded friendships and betrayal; pressure to conform and be “popular”; desire to be part of a group, a tribe, a club, to feel socially accepted; and the sadness of losing one’s best friend at a tender age.

Our FIPRESCI jury delegates from Munich, Malmö, and Paris watched 8 films: from Denmark: Mira, directed by Marie Limkilde; from Sweden: Nipster, directed by Sunniva Eir Tangvik; from Switzerland and Belgium: Mary Anning, directed by Marcel Barelli; from Switzerland: Splish Splash Forever! (Plitsch Platsch Forever!), directed by Natascha Beller; from Canada: My Stepmom is a Witch (Ma belle-mère est une sorcière), directed by Joelle Desjardins Paquette; from Belgium and France: The Girls from Above (Les filles du ciel), directed by Bérangère McNeese; from Australia: Runt, directed by John Sheedy; and from Spain: Beef (Ruido), directed by Ingride Santos.

Nipster (vernacular for Nazi hipster) was the film that impressed me most because it felt real. Photographed with a rough, raw, no-nonsense approach like a documentary—with handheld camera movement that followed the characters’ every move—it focused on their facial expressions that revealed innocence and vulnerability. Lying underneath the surface were feelings of being alone in the world, and the fear of being bullied and showing weakness. The ensemble of first-time actors took on their roles with conviction and convincingly transformed into characters able to commit acts of violence and xenophobia.

The film that stirred the audience and our FIPRESCI jury was Beef (Ruido). A black girl of Malian descent channels her frustration into rebellion and resilience; she braves the brutal machismo and personal insults that define freestyle rap battles of Barcelona streets and Mexico City. Conflicted by pressures to respect her Muslim culture or to follow her own heart and develop her own voice, we watch the main character, Lati, vacillate before finally mustering the courage and strength to counterattack rivals with her own blistering phrases of rap rhythm and rhyme.

First-time actor Latifa Drame is a real-life rapper, discovered by Spain’s debut director Ingride Santos, who followed her for a year on the streets of Barcelona. She defines her trajectory from timidity and obscurity to defiance and international acclaim as a proud street fighter, a heroine, a badass, and ultimate winner of these rap wars.

The list the awards presented at Closing ceremonies were:
The City of Malmö Children’s Film Award went to: Olivia and the Invisible Earthquake, directed by Irene Iborra.
The Church of Sweden Award was awarded to: Olmo, directed by Fernando Eimbcke.
The Young People’s Jury for Film Award went to: The Girls From Above, directed by Bérangère McNeese.
The ECFA Award was awarded to: Dante, directed by Linda Hambäck.
The Region Skåne Short Film Award went to: The Corkscrew, directed by Torfinn Iversen.
The BUFF Nordic Star was awarded to: Ellen Edith Pultz-Hansen in Mira, Saga Stenman in Nipster, and Luiza Idrizi in Brightly Shining (Stargate – en julberättelse).
The Barnfondens’ Award was given to: Splish Splash Forever!, directed by Natascha Beller.
The FIPRESCI Award was given to Beef (Ruido) by Ingride Santos.

Madelyn Most
Edited by Robert Horton
©FIPRESCI 2026