The Contest: To the Stars and Back

The Contest: To the Stars and Back

Moviecut—The Contest: To the Stars and Back

'Look at me - where there is a will there is a way' is the title song contribution to a song contest for young people. The girl contestant, Sawsan, is from a Muslim immigrant family, and she is not allowed to participate, but her efficient initiative works things out eagerly supported by a boy, Karl, moving from another culturally marginalized group of people in the province and into a metropolis school with an immigrant majority of pupils. It is an interesting fresh alliance between members of these different ethnic groups, and one of the humorous scenes is actually when the parents on their way to track down the fugitives agree upon the notion, that young people are allowed to do much more today than is good for them. In some way the song contest proves them wrong. Martin Miehe-Renard has mostly worked for television and directed installments of family film series, but here he tries something extra and he manages to steer clear of the obvious traps of political correctness sustained by his action filled cinematography and the most convincing immigrant girl staling the show.