Originally premiered at the Netherlands Film Festival, and screened a few days ago at the Youth and Children's Film Festival, unspooling within Tallinn’s Black Nights event, Dutch director Karin Junger's new film The Pupil [+lee también:
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entrevista: Karin Junger
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Cineuropa: What prompted you to devote your film to the subject of child abuse and to immerse yourself in a male-dominated world like that of a football club?
Karin Junger: Sexual abuse damages children, and it is necessary for us to confront the subject and for a public conversation to take place. It happens in all kinds of places: sports clubs, boarding schools, churches and so on. It happens wherever adults are involved with children, and where there is a clear hierarchy, physical contact and ambitions. The macho environment of a sports club like this is a prime setting for abuse. The football coach is a role model, someone whom a pupil wants to impress. And this atmosphere makes it unlikely for a child to tell another adult what is happening. Moreover, a child knows that the subject is taboo, and he has conflicting feelings; he also feels loyalty towards the perpetrator.

The film follows the boy’s evolution, from initial embarrassment to mounting unease and withdrawal into himself. All of this is conveyed subtly, without the use of words. How did you work with the young lead actor on such a delicate subject?
When I met Bart de Wilde, who plays the role of the boy, I was immediately struck by his openness. What is special about Bart is that he has also experienced quite a lot in his own life. He knows what pain is and what loneliness is. Bart and I had many conversations together, about the story and about the character. We also rehearsed a lot, together with the other main actor, Gijs Naber, the football coach. I first organised some fun days for them to spend together, so they could get to know each other in an informal way. The most important thing is trust.

You never show the most explicit scenes, but you hint at them off-screen. How did you approach the mise-en-scène?
I think we show more than most films on this subject. The goal was not to be too explicit, but to stay with the child even in the moments when the abuse occurs. Because it’s necessary to show the dynamics and how the child is manipulated, but also portray through suggestion that he does experience physical pleasure. We discussed with the young actor about what would or would not be on screen. Some sentences, such as, “Do you want to do that to me now?” [referring to fellatio], we replaced on set with a less loaded phrase but one with the same number of syllables, and we edited it later.

The boy shows a form of dependence on his coach; he is troubled yet keeps going back to him. What kinds of mechanisms are set in motion in such cases?
I have spoken to several people who were abused as children, as well as experts – specialised therapists and vice-squad detectives. There is a form of adoration, or at least admiration, towards the trainer. [The boy] is at an age where there is this curiosity about sex. The kid also has fun with the trainer: he gets attention, plays fun computer games and gets help with his homework. At the same time, he is aware of the fact that what they do together is not right. I found the dynamic between the boy and the trainer interesting. In the beginning, the boy is clearly the party who is manipulated by the coach and does not realise what the consequences will be. Gradually, the balance of power changes. The boy is no longer just a victim; he refuses certain actions and loses respect for his trainer. The coach has less and less power, and in the end, he is a broken man. The boy is damaged, but he also has resilience.

The boy’s family is essentially loving and present. He lives in a context that is anything but dysfunctional, yet he loses his way. In your view, what measures can be taken to prevent this from happening?
The film is also about all of us and how we relate to this subject. As for preventive measures, a club should request a “certificate of conduct” from the adults working there, appoint a confidential advisor and make agreements about how a coach should behave. For example, he should not have children back at his home. And parents should talk to their kids so that they know there are adults who might want to have sex with them and that they can refuse. And, if abuse has occurred, respond calmly. It does not help children to react dramatically or hysterically; by doing so, you implicitly tell them that it is terrible and that they might never get over it – and that they have also caused their parents a lot of pain.