Violet

Fifteen-year-old Jesse is the lone eyewitness to the murder of one of his friends. After the brutal incident Jesse returns home to his family and his BMX riders crew. Words cannot express the sorrow and emotional turmoil Jesse is going through – how can he explain the inexplicable? Questions surround not only Jesse but also those closest to him, isolating him further from the world and preventing him from coming to terms with the situation. Everyday activities like drinking tea, watching television, or hanging out with friends take on an entirely different significance. Using light, darkness, shadow, sound, and silence to isolate Jesse in an impenetrable net, the debuting director succeeds in baring the protagonist's inner core. This impressionistic, visually forceful movie makes do with minimal dialogue; its strength lies in its images. (Karlovy Vary International Film Festival)