Soldier Godfather
2013, 30 minutes
A dramatisation of domestic violence and the coping mechanisms of children.
Kyle lives at home with his mother and abusive step-father. Kyle's real father died a war hero while he was too young to remember him. Kyle's mother has stood between him and his alcoholic step-father ever since, regularly taking beatings so that he does not have to. Kyle does not speak to anyone outside of the fantasy world he has created to escape the constant violence in his life. School and social services try to support Kyle and his mother without success. Kyle spends most of his time isolated in his dingy backyard with few toys where is mother puts him for protection. Out of loneliness Kyle creates an imaginary friend based on the few positive experiences of people he has witnessed. A friend who distracts him from the miserable surroundings in which he lives. He builds a relationship with his new friend and takes comfort from his cavalier attitude. Eventually the violence within his home reaches a catastrophic climax with fatal results. Kyle is parentless and finds himself in an alien world of police, social services and foster care where Kyle finds unexpected comfort from a strangely familiar face.
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