Youth

This film comprises a triptych of scenes examining body image, self-consciousness and the need for attention.

A young man cavorts before a bedroom mirror re-enacting rock ‘n’ roll clichés and fetishism in a moment of narcissistic exploration. In the next instalment, young teenagers flirt in an awkward rough ‘n’ tumble in a swimming pool as the younger sister hides in the showers, too self-conscious of her pinch-an-inch tummy.

Part three is where this really comes into its own. This depicts teenage rough ‘n’ tumble of a different nature as three school boys wind each other up at the back of the bus. This scene is quite brilliantly acted and written, accurately depicting the complex, multi-faceted and intricate nature of teen rites of passage as a bully, his crony sidekick and victim wrestle for attention, friendship and understanding in all the wrong ways. A chain of events unfold that leaves the audience on a knife edge.

This final episode in Youth seemed the most inspired and observationally accurate and it struck me that it could be successfully developed into a feature.