SOFTIE

Sensitive and intelligent, 10-year-old Johnny is interested in all kinds of things way beyond his years. With curiosity, he observes life in his tough neighborhood and the ups and downs of his mother’s turbulent love life. Things change when a new teacher from the big city takes over Johnny’s class.

Retreating to the classroom as a haven from a troubled upbringing, a lonely boy is awakened to misguided fixations in Samuel Theis’s thorny coming-of-age drama. In a performance that’s wise beyond his years, newcomer Aliocha Reinert channels the innocence as well as the rebellious spirit of youth.