#20 Stroll along leafy Lygon Street to discover Little Italy and watch an art house movie at Cinema Nova – Monday, June 3, 2013
Go and watch “The Hunt”. It is one of the best movies of the year.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Umv4CyxTdg
Michael, Emma and I strolled a negligible amount of Lygon Street to get to Cinema Nova on a Monday in June. After a quick pizza at Trotters, we stocked up on supermarket treats from the Woolworths below the theatre – an excellent local tip from Emma. We filed into a very cold cinema to watch a very chilling film.
The Hunt is an art house film and the antithesis of a Hollywood blockbuster. The story brews slowly, the cinematography is beautiful and the acting is subtle. The wintery scenes of kids in onesy playsuits brought back memories of Munich but this tale could play out anywhere. The lead figure, Lucas, is a kindergarten teacher in a small Danish town. The story was shown from his perspective, but if another point of view had been used, the film would have been quite a different story. The question of trust in such uneven relationships can never be as clear as the film’s vision but the last few scenes were incredibly poignant.
I found the dilemma of child abuse in an educational setting extremely relevant. There are two men in our class of 24 primary teacher trainees and from day one, the message for them has been “be cautious”. Do not be alone with a chid in a room. Do not touch a child if you do not need to. Never initiate a hug. Tell someone quickly if something happens.
In the beginnings of the film Lucas is established as a well-respected member of the community. He is an engaged teacher, a helpful friend to his hunting buddies, a catch for his new girlfriend, and a reliable friend and adult in Klara’s world. This good reputation comes crashing down when Klara tells Grete, the kindergarten leader, that Lucas exposed himself. We, the audience, knows this is a false accusation. However, for Lucas’ friends, colleagues and the townsfolk, the accusation is believed, repeated by several children and too hard to bear. Child abuse is too big a violation of trust and taboos that Lucas never received the benefit of the doubt. Only his son and one friend stand by him.
At the end of the film there are two powerful scenes of rebuilding shattered trust. Lucas and Theo share food and silence. The friendship, dating back to mopeds, is given a latent chance to heal. A final scene with Klara and Lucas together was heart wrenching and yet uplifting. Lucas’ optimism outweighs my own.
Please go and see The Hunt. The subject matter is heavy but the film is amazing.