For Billie and Nico, life with their father is a roller-coaster ride of playfulness and unease. When he is in the grip of alcohol, tears flow and their apparently idyllic family life collapses. Their mostly absent and irresponsible mother is not much help either. But their friendship with Malik, a boy of Billie’s age, frees them from their shackles. Together they embark on a journey full of intense moments of freedom. The colourful, emotional world of the three young people is depicted in kaleidoscopic black and white imagery, which opens space for their own notions of childhood. Alexandre Rockwell's tale portrays a profound sense of solidarity and deep love: for cinema and Billie Holiday, and also for risk and adventure.
Awards
- Crystal Bear for Best Film (Children's Jury) - Berlinale Generation
Festivals
Credits
- Cast
- Lana Rockwell
- Nico Rockwell
- Jabari Watkins
- Will Patton
- Karyn Parsons
- ML Josepher
- Screenplay
- Alexandre Rockwell
- Cinematography
- Lasse Tolbøll
- Editing
- Alan Wu
- Sales
- UDI - URBAN DISTRIBUTION INTERNATIONAL
- Production
- BLACK HORSE PICTURES
Press
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The windswept, wild-maned 'Sweet Thing' boasts beautiful performances and a definite throwback charm.
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Lucid and arresting tale of childhood joy persisting amidst trauma, filmed in luminous black-and-white.
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An intimate and aching family drama [...] that taps into the experience of complex emotions in ways that exemplify the unique potential of cinema.
Alexandre Rockwell
USA
Alexandre Rockwell was born in Boston in 1956. His first film, LENZ, premiered at the Berlin Film Festival in 1982. After his road movie HERO (1983), he directed the legendary SAM FULLER IN SONS (1989). In 1992 he won the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival for his film IN THE SOUP, which made his reputation as one of the most interesting filmmakers on America’s independent film scene. SOMEBODY TO LOVE (1994) competed at the Venice flim Festival. Rockwell also directed ‘The Wrong Man’ segment of the anthology film FOUR ROOMS (1995), as well as the comedies LOUIS & FRANK (1998), 13 MOONS (2002) and PETE SMALLS IS DEAD (2010). In 2017, he was appointed head of directing at the graduate film department of the NYU Tisch School of the Arts. His film SWEET THING (2020) was selected at the Berlinale Generation 2020.