Potato season (2019)

Directed by: Lucas Tanghe | 16 minutes | short film, drama | Actors: Bert Huysentruyt, Femke Van Der Steen, Lien De Grave, Piet De Praitere, Michael Vergauwen, Manon Van Caenegem

Marjolein is a teen in love with a mobile phone. And teens in love with cell phones sometimes do stupid things. After Marjolein’s ill-considered action and the breakup of her relationship, her parents make frantic efforts to limit the consequences on the advice of the school principal. But as the internet specialist they hire for this has already indicated: a nude photo is like herpes. You can put some on it and it will go away, but it will come back.

In ‘French fries season’ we follow the ups and downs of Marjolein, but especially her father Edwin, who tries to manage the family crisis, but is hindered by something as banal as work. His immediate colleague also has a teenager at home, so there is some understanding, but when Nadine, Marjolein’s nervous mother, calls again to inform them that Marjolein has run away from school, it seems enough is enough. His colleague no longer wants to pay for him, but Edwin does what his father’s heart tells him.

Despite the serious and still topical subject, ‘French fries season’ is sometimes slightly comical in tone. This has to do with the naivety of the characters (“I’ll send a message to Google and Facebook, that should work too!”), but also with Edwin’s awkwardness in this situation. Because what father wants his daughters to be “bothered” on the internet?