Afblijven (9+)
A film adaptation of the popular young adult novel by Carry Slee. It tells the story of a fifteen-year-old girl who gets the chance to dance in the music video of a famous rapper and starts using drugs to conceal her insecurities.
Melissa is very fond of dancing and takes classical ballet lessons. At least, that is what her parents think. As soon as she arrives at the school, she takes hip hop dancing lessons. Jordi is in Melissa’s class. He has known her from primary school and has a soft spot for her. When Melissa gets a chance to appear in a famous rapper’s music video, Jordi is also wildly enthusiastic. But to hide her insecurity and dance better, she secretly takes pills, in increasing numbers.
Afblijven shows common adolescent problems in a modern setting. The film deals with the world of youngsters today, including modern dance and music, drug issues, romance and friendship. (source: Nederlands Film Festival)