She is small, but dangerous. Wherever Benni ends up, she is immediately expelled. The wild 9-year-old girl has already become what child protection services call a “system crasher”. And she is certainly not looking to change her ways. Because Benni has one single goal: to be back at home with her mommy! But Bianca is scared of her own daughter. Mrs Bafané from child protection services is trying her best to find a permanent placement for Benni. She hires the anger management trainer Micha as Benni’s school escort and suddenly there is a seed of hope. Will Micha be able to succeed where all others despaired?

Direction: Nora Fingscheidt

Script: Nora Fingscheidt

Production: Peter Hartwig

Co-Production: Jonas Weydemann, Jakob Weydemann, Frauke Kolbmüller

Cinematography: Yunus Roy Imer

Editing: Stephan Bechinger, Julia Kovalenko

Production Design: Marie-Luise Balzer

Costume Design: Ulé Barcelos

Make-Up: Kitty Kratschke

Sound: Corinna Zink

Original Score: John Gürtler

Visual Effects: Holger Hummel

Cast: Helena Zengel, Albrecht Schuch, Gabriela Maria Schmeide, Lisa Hagmeister

Original Title: SYSTEMSPRENGER

Original Language: German

Film Production Country: Germany

Website: http://www.systemsprenger-film.de

Social Media: @systemsprengerfilm

Statement of the Director/s
While shooting a documentary about a home for dispossessed women, I heard the unofficial term “system crasher” for the first time, because the youngest resident was just 14 years old. There were no children’s homes left willing to take the girl in. I couldn’t get that term out of my head, so I started an intense research. During this period I met an 11-year-old boy who had been in 52 different institutions. “System crashers” are children with incredible strength and endurance, but still tragic figures. At a very early age they put all their opportunities of becoming integrated into our society at risk. How much energy does it take to drive so many trained child care workers to despair? What if it were possible to re-channel this energy and use it for positive purposes?

My motivation for making this film was to sensitise people to children like Benni. That’s why the film is being told primarily from Benni’s point of view. As spectators we develop a feeling for the confusing number of “homes”, the changing guardians and the constant and dizzying disruption of relationships. At the same time, Benni draws us into the wild, uncertain, fantasy-filled world of a child fighting for her own sense of being. I wanted the film to bubble with energy and, despite the tragic nature of the topic, to be humorous and light-hearted. Just like Benni is. Although we may be upset – even shocked – by Benni’s violent behaviour, we should learn to love her and to fear for her during the course of the film. Ever since I met my first “system crasher”, I’ve known that I had to tell a story about one. Children’s violence is a cry for help. Always.

Biography of the Director/s
Nora Fingscheidt was born in Braunschweig in 1983 and spent her childhood in Germany and Argentina. From 2003 onwards she supported the development of the self-organised film school filmArche in Berlin. At the same time, she completed her training as an acting coach by Sigrid Andersson. From 2008 to 2017 Nora studied Fiction Directing at the Film Academy Baden-Württemberg.

Filmography of the Director/s
2019 - SYSTEM CRASHER
2017 - WITHOUT THIS WORLD, doc.
2016 - THE LICENSE, short
2014 - BOULEVARD’S END, short
2013 - BRÜDERLEIN
2011 - ZWISCHEN DEN ZEILEN, short
2010 - SYNKOPE, short

Awards Won
Berlinale 2019
* SILVER BEAR ALFRED BAUER PRIZE
* BERLINER MORGENPOST READERS' JURY AWARD

Sofia Int. Film Festival 2019
*'BEST DIRECTOR' AWARD

Filmkunstfest MV Schwerin 2019
* MAIN AWARD 'FLIEGENDER OCHSE'
* DEFA AWARD 'BEST DIRECTOR'
* FIPRESCI AWARD
* AWARD FOR BEST SOUNDDESIGN AND MUSIC

International Filmfest Emden/Norderney 2019
*CREATIVE ENERGY AWARD (Helena Zengel)
*DGB AUDIENCE AWARD

48th Molodist Kyiv International Film Festival 2019
*ECUMANICAL JURY

18th Transylvania International Film Festival 2019
*AUDIENCE AWARD

3rd Oslo Pix
*OSLO GRAND PRIX INTERNARTIONAL

15th FEST - New Directors|New Films Festival
*GOLDEN LYNX

21st Taipei Film Festival
*Grand Prize - International New Talent Competition
*Taiwan Film Critics Society Award

13th Vukovar Film Festival
*BEST FEATURE FILM

2nd Somboro Filmfestival
*GRAND JURY PRIZE
*SPECIAL AWARD Helena Zengel

Transatlantyk Filmfestival Lodz
*DISTRIBUTION AWARD

Production Company:
Weydemann Bros. GmbH
Jonas Weydemann
Große Bergstraße 264
Hamburg, 22767, Germany
E-Mail: [email protected]
Phone: +49 (40 228 620 92
Website: http://www.weydemannbros.com/

World Sales:
Beta Cinema GmbH
Tassilo Hallbauer
Gruenwalder Weg 28 d
Oberhaching, 82041 , Germany
E-Mail: [email protected]
Phone: +49 89 67 34 69 875
Website: http://www.betacinema.com/

Press:
Beta Film GmbH
Dorothee Stoewahse
Grünwalder Weg 28d
Oberhaching, 82041, Germany
E-Mail: [email protected]
Phone: +49 89 673469 15
Website: https://www.betafilm.com/