“Who spilled vodka on the cat?” are words that, to my knowledge, have never been spoken in a movie before. Until now. They are uttered by 12-year-old Mikal in the documentary Flophouse America , which just made its world premiere at CPH:DOX in Copenhagen, winning a Special Mention in the DOX:Award category.
Mikal was expressing not only concern for his cat Smoky, but frustration with his parents – the likely culprits behind the inadvertent moistening of the feline. In the directorial debut of Norwegian photographer Monica Strømdahl , the captivating young Mikal spends a lot of his time as the responsible one in the household – regularly washing dishes in the bathtub, for instance, or tending to Smoky’s needs – while his parents occupy themselves drinking and smoking. Though not yet a teenager, in many respects it’s he who takes on the parental role.
Related Stories 'Always,' '2000 Meters To Adriivka' Among Big Winners At CPH:DOX In Copenhagen Elephant In The Room: CPH:DOX Defends Democratic Values, Confronts Reality Of Trump Administration "Trying To Change The World Order" “He had this fire inside, he had this strength,” Strømdahl tells Deadline. “I saw a child — in Norway, we call it løvetann barn , like ‘dandelion children,’ who grow through the pavement. And he was so school smart, street smart.
He was so aware of his surroundings, and he had learned how to navigate his reality.” Watch on Deadline It’s a reality lived by millions of Americ.