When 12-year-old Daan‘s special bond with his football coach transforms into manipulation and abuse, he must confront not only his conflicted feelings of loyalty and betrayal, but also his community‘s uncomfortable response to a truth no one wants to face.“ ”
As the line between mentorship and manipulation slowly begins to blur, 12-year-old Daan faces the most terrifying challenge of his young life — distinguishing his football coach's attachment from abuse.
Synopsis
Twelve-year-old Daan admires his football coach Ries (45), who gradually becomes a significant influence in his life and slowly manipulates him into a web of abuse. Daan's behaviour begins to spiral out of control – he skips school, gets into fights, and distances himself from family and friends. Inside Daan‘s turbulent emotional world, validation and special attention gradually intertwine with shame and secrecy, which in many ways echoes the psychological sharpness of Adolescence.
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Details
Director: Karin Junger
Genre: Crime, Family, Drama
Tags: Emotional, Suspenseful, Psychological
Original title: De Pupil
English title: The Pupil
Country of production: The Netherlands, Belgium
Year of production: 2025
Length: 105 min
Color: yes
Shooting format: 2K
Screening format: DCP 2K (2048x858), QT Proress 422 HQ (5.1 & stereo), H264 (stereo)
Original language: Dutch
Subtitles: English, Dutch
Cast: Bart de Wilde, Gijs Naber, Hadewych Minis, Marcel Hensema, Joost Meuwsen
Scriptwriter: Karin Junger
Director of photography: Martijn van Broekhuizen
Production designer: Ben Zuydwijk
Editor: David Verdurme
Sound design: Mark Glynne
Sound mixing: Jac Vleeshouwers
Music: Frederik Van de Moortel
Producers: Ineke Kanters, Lisette Kelder
Co-producers: Maarten D’Hollander, Tim Martens, Xavier Rombaut, Robert Kievit
Production company: The Film Kitchen
Co-production company: Krater Films, Polar Bear, BNNVARA
Supported by: Netherlands Film Fund, Netherlands Film Production Incentive, Tax Shelter of the Belgian Federal Government, BNNVARA, CoBO, Creative Europe - MEDIA Programme of the European Union, POSTA Sound for Picture
Film poster
Festivals / Awards
The Netherlands FF - World Premiere
Just Film Youth & Children’s Film Festival - International Premiere
