Lacking in stature but mighty in her roar, 9-year-old human cyclone Benni (Helena Zengel) has been deemed a “system crasher” by child protection services. Prone to volatile outbursts and feral behavior, Benni has been jerked around within the child care system so long, soon there won’t be a school that hasn’t expelled her, or a professional she hasn’t stumped. Even her remorseful but loving mother — to whom Benni desperately wants to return — is afraid of her. Hope arrives in the form of Micha (Albrecht Schuch), an anger management trainer who may be the key to extinguishing Benni’s blazing ire. Writer/director Nora Fingscheidt’s wild and complex depiction of youth in revolt features an electrifying and unshakable central performance from Zengel, and is Germany’s gutsy entry for the Best International Feature Oscar®.

Winner: Alfred Bauer Prize, Berliner Morgenpost Readers’ Jury Award, Berlin; Best Film — New Directors, São Paulo; Audience Award, Transilvania; Best Film, Zurich

In competition for the FIPRESCI Prize