Chicken Power (2020)

Directed by: Maria Philips | 10 minutes | drama, comedy, short film | Actors: Mingus Claessen, Hannah van Lunteren, Marisa van Eyle, Murth Mossel

You have to deal with them: those children of parents who suddenly opt for an extreme change in their lifestyle. From omnivorous to vegetarian is still a mild variant, but there are also parents who (also for their child) decide not to use electricity anymore, to only eat home-grown vegetables or to cancel all subscriptions (from the internet to Donald Duck). say.

In ‘Kippenkracht’, protagonist Kees not only has to deal with the divorce of his parents; his mother has also suddenly seen the light and wants to give something back to society. They move to a tiny house in the middle of an apple orchard, where the other members of the commune warmly welcome them. When Kees notices that there isn’t even room for their Great Dane, let alone for his fitness equipment, he is soon done with it.

‘Kippenkracht’ is a short film in the series KORT! 2020. The strength and the weakness in this film are in the exaggeration. Although a divorce naturally has a significant impact, it seems a bit far-fetched that Kees’ mother makes such a huge turnaround that Kees hardly seems to recognize his mother’s behavior anymore. The move to a tiny house can still be defended in itself, but it is strange that she no longer has an eye for the needs of her child. Although it should be mentioned that the film is so short, that of course you have no idea what the relationship between mother and son was before the move. As a result, ‘Chicken Power’ remains somewhat superficial and the jokes do not hit their target. The film has an exaggerated kind of humor, whether you like it or not. Technically and visually, the film is well put together, with a few nice shots of the tiny house and the apple orchard, but the story doesn’t impress enough.