Sons of No One (2017)

Directed by: Hans Vannetelbosch | 21 min | short film, drama | Actors: Nora Alberdi Perez, Marcel Gonzalez, Jacqueline Ghaye, Frank Onana

Eva is an educator in a youth institution and very committed to the boys she supervises. One of the boys – named Justice – attacks one of the guards after a nasty confrontation. When Eva doesn’t get clear answers from the relevant guard, Marcel, she starts to question his integrity more and more and starts to wonder who is really good or bad; the prisoner or the guard.

As a viewer, you witness the confrontation during the opening scene and hear how Marcel challenges the boy. After Marcel’s horrific statements, you understand that Justice eventually breaks. However, Eva is not at the confrontation, so you see her intuitively matching puzzle pieces throughout the film. She senses that something isn’t right, but she can’t say for sure. Until she herself is confronted with the brutal bullying behavior of Marcel. In this scene the roles are reversed and as a viewer you don’t hear what is being said. This creates a pleasant tension towards the end, which you miss a bit at the beginning of the film.

During his previous films ‘Patient’ and ‘Penitence’, director Vannetelbosch has already worked with actors Nora Alberdi Perez, Marcel Gonzalez and Jacqueline Ghaye. Also in ‘Sons of No One’ it turns out to be a successful collaboration with credible and natural acting.

‘Sons of No One’ manages to paint a good picture in a short time of how things can go in these kinds of hierarchical institutions. Racism, justice and abuse of power are discussed. You meet likeable, playful guys who all have something up their sleeve. Are they bad guys, or are you allowed to like them too? ‘Sons of No One’ provides an insight into a succinct world full of power relations that we often encounter in our current society.