Emoticons

Heddy Honigmann, Netherlands, The, 2007

Synopsis

Saskia is fourteen years old. She is bullied a lot at school, which often makes her feel lonely. At home, she sits behind the computer for hours on end and plays violent video games, at which she is very good. Sanne relieves her sense of loneliness through writing and publishes her poems on the Internet. Samantha was raped at the age of 15 and draws strength from advising other girls about love and sex on Internet forums. Debbie and Inge both lost their mothers to breast cancer. They met each other on the Net and have sent each other hundreds of emails. Zineb chats with her family in Algeria and with friends who understand what it is like to wait for the minister's decision about a residence permit, after having exhausted all possible legal procedures. For all of these girls, the Internet is a safe haven where they can be themselves, keep in touch with other people, and rebuild their confidence. A virtual contact, which is often only a great deal later on followed by a 'real' meeting. Filmmaker Heddy Honigmann found these girls on the Net and made contact. Their conversations via the computer are interwoven with images of their daily lives, in which the computer plays a key role.