I AM DAVID

US, 2003, 90 minutes, Colour.
Ben Tibber, Jim Caviezel, Joan Plowright.
Directed by Paul Feig.

During the 1960s, Anne Holm’s novel sold millions of copies and was read widely by children. The producers of this film remembered it and wanted to bring it to the screen forty years later. It has received a number of awards at festivals and has been screened for a number of NGOs, especially those concerned with refugees.

This is a refugee story for children, a blend of optimism as well as wariness about trusting people. The treatment is very straightforward, rather unsophisticated and easy to damn with faint praise by saying that it worthy. Accepting this worthiness, one must say that at times it is quite a moving little film.

The setting is 1952 in a Bulgarian gulag. David has been separated from his politically active parents and interned in the hard labour camp. The film opens with his escape from the prison. It then continues his journey to Greece, by boat to Italy, through Italy to Switzerland on his way to Denmark with a sealed envelope which will reveal the truth about him.

There are flashbacks to the harshness of the camp, working in the quarries, executions for stealing soap. David’s friend in the camp, a bespectacled, self-sacrificing prisoner, Johannes, is played by Jim Caviezel. Joan Plowright plays a familiar role as an elderly artist who befriends and saves David. David himself is played with grim determination to survive by young British actor, Ben Tibber.

Because he meets with success, it could seem that the world is full of kind people eager to help this mysterious young refugee. However, it is not always easy. In fact, there are a lot of unfriendly people out there. But, this is a picture of the indomitable human spirit, aimed at a younger audience and their parents.

1. The appeal of the film? Internationally? American production, British and American cast? The scenes and the story on the continent of Europe? Different sensibilities and sentiment?

2. The popularity of the original novel, the sixties? The memories, the 21st century and wars, persecutions, internment camps? Audience response to these themes?

3. World War Two, the aftermath, the rise of communism, the prison camps and gulags behind the Iron Curtain, the hard labour for the prisoners, men, women, children? The suffering? The harsh administration? The desire for escape and freedom?

4. The structure of the film: David, his friend in the camp, life in the camp, the voice-over giving him advice about his escape and his journey, the details of the escape, the letter to keep safe, his mission, on the road, the cumulative effect of all the incidents, his memory of his mother, the memory of the death of his friend, the revelation of who was his patron and his motives?

5. The portrait of the friend in the camp, his help, the flashbacks, in the dormitory, working, audiences assuming that he was the man helping David? The search, his protecting David, dying for him?

6. The commander, his presence, seeming sternness? The irony that he was helping David? His love for David’s mother, giving him the documents, giving him the plan, sending him to freedom?

7. David, his age, internment, the memory of his mother, the dim awareness of his parents and his life before the camp? The hard labour in the camp, in the dormitories, with the commander?

8. The escape, the details of the lights going out, getting through the fence, getting the bag, going through the fields? The continued danger? The satchel, the compass, the trucks – and their being searched? On the boat, getting to Greece? Italy, the man on the boat, the support, friendship, swimming to land? The effect of these events on David and his determination to persevere?

9. The sailor, discovering David on the ship, their friendship – and the irony of meeting him later in the truck? In Italy, walking, finding jobs, the shops, people for and against him?

10. The chance encounter with the children, the barn fire, his saving the girl, going to the wealthy family, the comfortable bed, the meals, the friendship of the family? Finding the book?

11. His determination to get to Switzerland, the journey, meeting Sophie in northern Italy, the talk, the help, her getting him across the border? Finding the book again, Sophie and her explanations about his mother? Sophie as a character, age, kindness?

12. His being able to get to Denmark, meeting his mother, the happy reconciliation? The revelation that the commander had helped him to freedom?

13. A film of deep feeling, the enterprise of the human spirit, resilience after brutality?