Documentary
Syndir fedrannaAm Rande der WeltAt the Edge of the World
Iceland 2007, 93 Min., English subtitles
Breidavik lies at the western border of Europe, on the craggy, mountainous west coast of Iceland, where all roads come to an end. In 1952 a home for difficult boys was founded in Breidavik, which became a synonym for crimes against youth in 2006, when shattering details came to light in a TV show: in Breidavik, adolescents had over years been systematically beaten and abused under government custody. This stirring documentary film centres on the life stories of the victims, featuring interviews and imposing stock material that reveal the highly questionable pedagogical concept behind Breidavik. The former pupils speak openly about the humilitiations that they were subject to as children, leaving them severely and often irreparably traumatised, as the film makes clear in the most tragic manner. Brediavik was closed in the 1970s. But many of its inmates were never able to leave the place behind entirely.
Director Bergsteinn Björgúlfsson, Ari Alexander Ergis Magnússon
Screenplay Ari Alexander Ergis Magnússon, Kristján Lodmfjörd
Website Icelandic Film Centre
The film in the Film Days catalogue [PDF-Download]
Screenings
No screenings are available for this film.
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