A battered boy's only escape is a beach he'll never reach.
Milan is an 11-year-old boy who dreams about escaping a violent home life. When his parents fight or take drugs, or when bullies pick on him in school, he finds peace in contemplating a postcard with an idyllic picture of the island of Aruba, and imagines himself in that faraway place as a way to survive.
Acting
A.J. Saudin's silent longing speaks louder than dialogue ever could.
Cinematography
Bleach-bypass reality vs. saturated postcard fantasy, devastating contrast.
Direction
Davis trusts the viewer to fill silences—no hand-holding.
Director
Hubert Davis
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Davis based this on his own Toronto housing project upbringing; the Aruba postcard was his actual childhood escape.
The film was Davis's thesis project—he maxed credit cards and shot in his actual former apartment building.
US
