Juvenile Judge

The filmmakers follow a number of Dutch juvenile magistrates at work over an extended period of time. By far the most important location is the courtroom itself, with just a few scenes taking place in the elevator and the corridors leading to it. The camera is unobtrusive, filming some suspects only from behind so that they remain unidentifiable to the viewer. Each time, the procedure is the same: the various parties plead their cases and then the judge makes a decision. But the cases themselves are extremely diverse, repeatedly presenting the judge with dilemmas. Should the judge release the mugger Yoenes, an eloquent boy, so that he can finish school, or should he send him to a youth detention center? And what about Tenisha, who tells of how her mother literally kicked her out of the house and whose father is unsure of whether he can take care of her?