Mates

After his great friend and role model Younes is accidentally shot in the neighborhood, Ilias (12) is sliding in the direction of making fast money.

Fixy
Jeugd

Twelve-year-old Ilias has to deal with drug crime in his neighborhood. His best friend Younes is murdered by mistake. Looking for consolation and in search of those who did it, Ilias enters the world of easy drug money, which is increasingly gripping him. Will he be able to get his life back on track?

Cast

Ilias • Shad Issa
Bruno • Yassine el Hamdani
Younes • Abdellah Âdmi
Noor • Rian Gerritsen
Ismael • Hicham Khayale
Sarah • Yasmine Erramach
Imane • Zenna Noudari
Jamila • Nora El Koussour
Moeder Younes • Lamia Makaddam
Karima • Dinyah Salem
Rachid • Ashraf Benkaddour
Djayden • Estefanio Pinas
Aisha • Ayah Loukile

Credits

script • Maarten Lebens
director • Ineke Houtman
broadcaster • VPRO, Martien Vlietman
DoP • Sander Snoep NSC
sound • Marten Negenman
costume • Ingrid Schagen
production design • Eke Kriek & Fanny Kriek

Festivals

Cinekid - Oct, 2022
Kristiansand Children's Film Festival - April, 2023

Prijzen

Best Film, Youth Jury Award • Cinekid
Best Film, Youth Jury Award • Kristiansand Children's Festival
 
 

Reviews

Lead actor Shad Issa ... convinces with his beautiful, never quite fathomable look. His Ilias is impressionable.... The homegrown tough gangster rap deployed as an atmospheric lubricant provides a fine contrast to the image of Ilias and his school friends distributing drugs to the supposedly neat residents in the better neighborhood. (Volkskrant, dec '22)

Kristiansand FF jury: "Mates presents itself as a powerful and socially relevant movie. Through the movie we feel sympathy for the characters due to specific events, and get an insight into significant problems surrounding drug use and recruitment among young people.


 

Stills