Robyn, Nathan, Vinnie and Eric
1991 · 54m · Canada
Directed by Sally Bochner, Wolf Koenig
Genres: coming-of-age, documentary
Tones: contemplative, tender
Four teenagers who experienced abuse and strained parent relationships discuss immigration, early separation and family care while exploring their pasts with a counsellor.
Picked by Margot
The scouts
Everyone expects a documentary about trauma to be cathartic or exposé-heavy; instead Bochner and Koenig just sit with four kids and let boredom, contradiction, and silence do the work—it's almost perverse in how little it tries to convince you of anything.
A masterclass in observational restraint that traces its lineage through cinema-vérité while refusing the memoiristic sentimentality the subject matter invites; the formal decision to let counselling sessions unfold at their own pace is what transforms testimony into something genuinely unforgettable.
The entire film pivots on one choice—to cut away during the most obvious emotional beats and return to the teenagers' faces in the moments after, where the real processing happens—and that single instinct elevates what could've been a well-meaning school project into something that actually understands how people heal.