Bonbon

In Jannis Alexander Kiefer's short film, a child discovers the colorful hustle and bustle of a carnival parade. While the residents of a quaint village prepare for the annual Alemannic Rose Monday parade, 9-year-old Alexander's full attention is focused on something else entirely: his father is coming to visit after a year of absence. Alexander feels a mixture of curiosity, uncertainty, and anticipation about the man who, on his mother's instructions, is not allowed to enter the house. In the middle of a sleepless night, the boy ventures out in his musketeer costume into the village carnival celebrations to find his father among the many masked and costumed men, fools, and other creatures. The short film BONBON was made in 2019 at the Film University Babelsberg KONRAD WOLF under the direction of Jannis Alexander Kiefer and combines everyday moments with atmospheric density. Between village romance and emotional tension, a coming-of-age moment full of uncertainty, curiosity, and childlike hope unfolds. The sensitive performance of the young lead actor and the strong visual design make the film an impressive study of closeness, loss, and growing up amid family breakdowns. BONBON was presented at the International Hof Film Festival and screened at other short film festivals in Germany. There, it won over audiences and juries with its poetic narrative style and subtle direction.