Needle Park Baby
PLATZSPITZBABY
2020 • Films • Drama/1 h 38 mins
Available on
Details
Spring 1995: After the open drug scene in Zurich was dissolved, eleven-year-old Mia and her mother Sandrine move to an idyllic little town in the Zurich Oberland. But the new home is no paradise for Mia. Because Sandrine is heavily addicted to drugs and should never have been given custody. Mia takes refuge in a fantasy world with an imaginary friend. She talks to him in the lonely hours and makes fantastic plans for an island life with her mother, away from drugs. In a children's gang whose members come from similarly difficult backgrounds, Mia also finds a kind of substitute family and, increasingly, the strength to rebel against her all-ruling mother.
Director
Pierre Monnard
Country
Switzerland
Language
Swiss German
Details
Spring 1995: After the open drug scene in Zurich was dissolved, eleven-year-old Mia and her mother Sandrine move to an idyllic little town in the Zurich Oberland. But the new home is no paradise for Mia. Because Sandrine is heavily addicted to drugs and should never have been given custody. Mia takes refuge in a fantasy world with an imaginary friend. She talks to him in the lonely hours and makes fantastic plans for an island life with her mother, away from drugs. In a children's gang whose members come from similarly difficult backgrounds, Mia also finds a kind of substitute family and, increasingly, the strength to rebel against her all-ruling mother.
Director
Pierre Monnard
Country
Switzerland
Language
Swiss German
Accolades
Sarah Spale, Best Actress
Swiss Film Prize, 2021
Best Film Nominee
Swiss Film Prize, 2021
Luna Mwezi, Best Actress Nominee
Swiss Film Prize, 2021
Trivia
The film is inspired by the book "PLATZSPITZBABY", an autobigrpahy by Michelle Halbheer & Franziska K. Müller. It caused quite a stir when it was first published in 2013.
Located in the heart of Zürich in the nineties, there used to be a large needle park where authorities allowed the sale and consumption of illegal drugs. Between 1987 and 1995, heroin dealers from all over Europe would mingle with up to 3000 drug users, creating a toxic environment of crime.
Until 1992, the drug scene was located at Platzspitzpark just steps from the main station. It later moved down the Limmat to Letten where it remained until February 14, 1995
Critics
“
...'"Needle Park Baby is a film both tough and poetic…"'
Cineuropa
Meet the Cast
Meet the Cast
Luna Mwezi
Sarah Spale
Directors
Director's Statement
“
"This is film about something more than just drugs“.
Pierre Monnard
Photo Gallery
Photo Gallery
You may also like