Tea time with Kids

Interview with Michael Frei, director of Kids

Do you have further projects on the theme of group dynamics?
Not specifically on this theme, no. But group dynamics are at the core of understanding so many social phenomena that it will remain present in my work one way or the other.

Why were you interested in the choir song and its very high-pitched tone?
We made an original soundtrack for the film. I wanted to work with a children’s choir. They happen to have quite high-pitched voices.

Have you already heard of Team building? Do you think it could change the dynamics, thus your film?
Sure. Building teams makes sense if you have a common goal. In Kids, there is no common goal.

Why are groups pictured in the film always excluding? Do you think it represents reality?
I just make silly cartoons. Reality is much more complex, of course. In Kids, characters attract and repel each other but they never truly connect. It is a stream of nonsense that goes down a hole.

Should individuals refuse defining groups in order to define themselves?
I don’t believe so. You can’t define yourself by excluding your relationships. We are very much defined by them. But relationships are always changing. That is why defining yourself is an ongoing process until one dies.

Would you say that the short film format has given you any particular freedom?
No.

What are your reference works?
I looked at Crowds and Power by Elias Canetti and read the Wikipedia article on Group Dynamics while brushing my teeth.

Kids is part of Lab Competition L2.