Jack is ten-years-old. His mother Sanna is 26. She is a sweet-natured girl but can’t quite get it together to look after her kids. Jack does his best to care for his younger brother Manuel but after Manuel is injured in an accident, social services intervene and Jack is sent to a state-run home. At the home, he's bullied by another boy and runs away to find his brother. After he finds Manuel he takes him back to their apartment to find Sanna, but she doesn't come home. The boys can't get into the apartment so they head out on the streets to find her. They meet helpful adults along the way but no one is prepared to take responsibility for the boys.
Two young boys take to the streets of Berlin, sleeping rough and feeding themselves on donations or stealing. Jack cares not only for himself and his younger brother but he carries the entire film on his narrow shoulders that are actually stronger than they look. The 13-year-old Ivo Pietzker plays the lead role with such tension in his body that it is sometimes difficult to watch him. Jack is constantly overburdened and there seems to be no way out. He isn't old enough to take care of his brother, not strong enough to defend himself at the state-run home and the adults around him aren't interested in his life. JACK embodies a picture of complete abandonment. If Sanna had more time, more money, and more stable relationships, she would work less and dedicate more time to raising her kids. But that's not her life.

Tom Dorow