L'enfant

With her newborn baby in her arms, young Sonia searches for her boyfriend Bruno, the child’s father. Bruno has no home; he spends his time on the streets going about his ‘business’ as a thief and fence. When Sonia finally finds him, he doesn’t really know what to make of their child. Even though he loves her deeply, responsibility and reliability are alien to him. When Bruno sells little Jimmy to child traffickers, Sonia breaks down. Her boyfriend’s neglect and coldness – even though Bruno does eventually get the child back, paying a heavy price for it – hurt her deeply. She wants nothing more to do with him. When a member of his gang is caught by the police following a joint street robbery, Bruno takes responsibility for the crime and goes to prison. There, Sonia visits him, and he breaks down in tears before her. (From the statement by the Protestant Film Jury for FILM OF THE MONTH, November 2005.)