Top 20 Alternative Picks for Cannes 2013: Clio Barnard’s The Selfish Giant

The Selfish Giant – Clio Barnard

Section: Directors’ Fortnight

Buzz: Coming to the Croisette with one of the most anticipated sophomore films, Barnard’s multiple festival award-winning debut, experimental, bio-documentary The Arbor (2010) put her on the map of British filmmakers to watch out for.

The Gist:13 year-old Arbor and his best friend Swifty, both excluded from school and outsiders in their own neighborhood, meet Kitten, a local scrapdealer and begin collecting scrap metal for him using a horse and cart. Swifty has a natural gift with horses while Arbor emulates Kitten – keen to impress him and make some money. But when Kitten begins to favor Swifty, leaving Arbor hurt and excluded, a wedge is driven between the boys. Arbor becomes increasingly greedy and exploitative, increasing the tension between them, and leading to a tragic event which transforms them all.