The Bed Is Broken

Two Romanian boys roam around an abandoned building, looking for metal to sell to the scrap dealer. The camera accompanies them, exploring the spaces in the empty building: factory floors, stairwells, offices – the floors of which are covered with a sea of thick old files. There doesn’t seem to be much left worth taking, as the building has been stripped to the bone already. Broken windows, missing doors, a mattress left behind by someone passing through. The younger boy has done a drawing on a wall: "Here’s the toboggan… here’s the prison for small children… a cat… a bunny… two stars in the sky… and there’s a… What do you call it? A bed." While the camera calmly observes them, more and more questions arise. Who are these boys? Where do they come from? How did they get here? Is this a game, or is it work? Is it freedom, or neglect? Are they playing with one another, or is it bullying? Then they find someone else to play with: a puppy, just as displaced and playful as the two friends. In an environment where there isn't much room for childhood, the little dog’s carefree enthusiasm serves as a reminder of what it means to be a kid.