PARADISE IS BURNING

 The three girls, Laura (16), Mira  (12) and Steffi (67), have a tight-knit bond and a feral resourcefulness that has allowed them to slip under the radar of the authorities.  With no income or adult supervision they survive on their own amid the chaos of their lives with occasional help from neighbours.  But with summer on the way and no parents around, life is carefree, lively and anarchic.  Then Social Services want to visit and new tensions arise…

The three girls’ performances have a refreshingly unpredictable, wayward energy, well captured by the dynamic camerawork and sharp editing.

Paradise Is Burning won the Sutherland Award for Best First Feature at the 2023 BFI London Film Festival.