Watch Kids' Reviews of
SUBSTRATUM

Wow! Let me say that again... wow! Outstanding. This film, made by a high school student absolutely blows me away. I watch a lot of film from students and this is so far over the top, it is off the register!

Substratum shows us a young boy who is dealing with his legacy of dictatorship as he lives in an isolated world eating his meals off of cold metal trays. The one humanizing element appears in the form of a teddy bear sent by his grandmother wearing a peace symbol necklace. An older man enters - his dad? He is intent on blowing up the world and destroys the teddy, to which the boy responds by pulling out a pile of other stuffed animals and removing their peace symbol necklaces then falling into a military salute. The ending is left open.

Fantastic production with outstanding camera work, acting and sets. The sets alone are mind boggling - especially for a student film, but would be from an adult also. The background music and sounds are also outstanding. Harvey Abrahams' skill as a composer and musician take shape here with a score befitting this film.

The film examines the issues of power and fascism that we have experienced in recent years and leaves us questioning where it will all lead.

I give SUBSTRATUM 5 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 12 to 18, plus adults. By Julie S., KIDS FIRST!

Wow! Let me say that again... wow! Outstanding. This film, made by a high school student absolutely blows me away. I watch a lot of film from students and this is so far over the top, it is off the register!

Substratum shows us a young boy who is dealing with his legacy of dictatorship as he lives in an isolated world eating his meals off of cold metal trays. The one humanizing element appears in the form of a teddy bear sent by his grandmother wearing a peace symbol necklace. An older man enters - his dad? He is intent on blowing up the world and destroys the teddy, to which the boy responds by pulling out a pile of other stuffed animals and removing their peace symbol necklaces then falling into a military salute. The ending is left open.

Fantastic production with outstanding camera work, acting and sets. The sets alone are mind boggling - especially for a student film, but would be from an adult also. The background music and sounds are also outstanding. Harvey Abrahams' skill as a composer and musician take shape here with a score befitting this film.

The film examines the issues of power and fascism that we have experienced in recent years and leaves us questioning where it will all lead.

I give SUBSTRATUM 5 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 12 to 18, plus adults. By Julie S., KIDS FIRST!

A young heir to a dictatorship navigates an isolated world of power and control. A solitary gesture of peace leads to tragic revelations in this stark allegory of inherited violence and the urgent need for empathy.