Dir. Monica Strømdahl | Norway, The Netherlands, US | 2025
A deeply realistic portrait of a teenager living on the dark side of the American Dream
78 min.
Documentary
13, 18 november Online (belarus), from 00:00 to 23:59
Norwegian photographer Monica Strømdahl spent years traveling across the United States, documenting life in cheap motels and flophouses. During one of these trips, she met 12-year-old Mikal, who was born and raised in a cramped hotel room with his alcoholic parents, living on the edge of poverty. In her debut feature-length documentary, filmed over the course of three years, Strømdahl tells their story with rare sensitivity and honesty.
Through everyday moments — arguments, reconciliations, weary silences — the film shows how addiction destroys not only bodies but also family bonds, turning a home into a trap. The director observes without judgment, letting the characters speak for themselves. The result is a poignant portrait of people left behind by the American Dream — and of a child growing up amid addiction, poverty, and a fragile but persistent hope.