The Eastern Neighbors Film Festival, which annually presents the best and most relevant films from Eastern Europe in The Hague, goes on tour and also visits Rialto. On Saturday, September 26, it presents the feature film The Pig by director Dragomir Sholev. Festival director Rada Sesic will introduce the film and the upcoming edition of ENFF in advance. Afterwards there will be a recorded Q&A with Sholev.
The Pig
Shy, chubby 13-year-old Rumen – nicknamed "The Pig" – lives with his grandmother, as his parents both work abroad. Every day, he is bullied by his classmates at school. His teachers are no help at all, they just ignore him. He has learned never to respond to insults and name-calling, hoping to be completely invisible. But one day his bullies go too far, pushing him to his limits, and Rumen strikes back. With far-reaching consequences.
It is not the first time that Bulgarian director Dragomir Sholev tackles the theme of mentally neglected or abused children. In 2010 he made the multi-award-winning film Shelter, a poignant portrait of a 12-year-old boy who is grossly neglected by his parents and runs away from home. In The Pig, Sholev again succeeds in portraying the loneliness and anguish of his lead character in a credible and highly recognizable way.
