Gips (Plaster)

A boy lies about a broken arm to impress girls—it's the setup everyone's seen, which is exactly why Houben's refusal to cynically undercut it lands harder than expected; the sweetness is the subversion.

The film's formal restraint—its commitment to saturated, patient observation of adolescent vertigo rather than comedic beats—recalls a lineage of European coming-of-age work that trusts the audience to feel the weight in small moments.

The entire film turns on Houben's decision to let the plaster cast stay visually central and unfussy; it's the detail that makes the fakery readable, the longing legible, and the whole premise worth eleven minutes.

Jeroen Houben's Gips (Plaster) is a sweet and humorous look at the dizzying effect talking to a girl for the first time can have on a young boy. Plaster is the type of film that wraps you up in its friendly embrace and leaves you feeling all warm inside long after viewing.

Dutch director Houben is once again on the charm offensive with this latest short. Plaster really is good old-fashioned fun and whether you can relate or not with the film's main character Pelle, it's a film that's just inviting its audience to reminisce on their own summer holidays experiences and budding romances.

We decided to set the story in a fairly contemporary world, but remained ambiguous about an exact time frame. We liked the idea of two kids meeting and then never seeing each other again. No exchanging phone numbers or adding each other on Facebook. To just say goodbye, knowing that there's someone out in the world who cares for you.