Fien Troch’s Home feels at home in the Platform section of TIFF because its a bold new step in cinema and yet feels very modern and very of the moment. It’s the present and the future rolled into one, and that sounds like Platform to us.

Set entirely in the realm of non-actors and shot with a mix of handheld cameras and cell phone footage, Home feels like it could have spread out in any number of directions but is superbly controlled in order to prevent a sprawl. Its story is one of bullying but really can be seen as a story of kids in their natural environment, away from their parents, speaking a vernacular of the playground and the sidewalks, a far cry from a film that casts real actors and attempts to make it feel natural.

The cues may not be present for film fans that aren’t familiar with a style such as this, but Troch capably handles the could be sprawling action and is a well-deserved winner of Best Director at Venice.

[star v=4]