Totem, the opening film of Cinekid, is a youth film with an adult subject ★★★☆☆

“Never go to the police.” The father of 11-year-old Ama (Amani-Jean Philippe) has always emphasized this to his daughter. It seems strange advice, but Ama is staying illegally in the Netherlands with her parents and brother. For as long as she can remember.

It’s been going well for years. Ama feels completely Dutch. She is doing well at school and wants to become a swimming champion. Her Senegalese parents have a job and an apartment in Rotterdam. But an innocent report of flooding causes the house of cards to collapse: Ama’s mother and brother are taken away by the police while her father is at work. She manages to escape just in time. She can take shelter with her school friend Thijs, although that is quite exciting, because Thijs’ mother works for the police.

Totem, the opening film of the Cinekid festival, which starts this week, is a youth film with an adult subject. Director Sander Burger initially wanted to make a documentary about life in illegality, but dropped that plan again, but in the meantime continued to chew on the theme. A film for children was once again something new for Burger, who never seems to sit still and alternates documentaries with fiction — his feature film The condemnation was the big winner at the Golden Calves award ceremony last year.

What Totem What sets it apart from other realistic childhood dramas is the presence of a huge porcupine. The animal suddenly shows up, when the film is on its way for about half an hour. Ama is of course surprised, but resignedly accepts that the animal is chasing her through the city. She meets a drifter of African descent who calls himself a griot, a West African storyteller or singer. He explains to her that the porcupine is her totem animal: her spiritual support and refuge.

The porcupine (not a computer animation, but a real built animal with numerous sensors and space for a puppeteer inside) makes the otherwise somewhat predictable film special. Director Burger and co-screenwriter Bastiaan Tichler also want to say that it is important to know your cultural background. Ama, who tried so hard to be Dutch, is learning to appreciate her Senegalese roots.

The imperturbable porcupine may steal the show, but protagonist Amani-Jean Philippe is also a natural. An important role is also reserved for Rotterdam, increasingly the setting for Dutch feature films. Cameraman Sal Kroonenberg shows the city at its best, often in the evening light and with a wide lens that shows a lot of the surroundings. Less successful is the excessive use of the so-called dutch angle, a technique that creates a skewed horizon. It’s a rather intrusive way to create tension and alienation. That Ama’s world is out of alignment is also clear without all those skewed lines.