Angry Enzo

13-year-old Enzo is usually a cheerful boy. But he has been struggling with feelings of anger since his parents’ divorce. Emotions that get so intense that things sometimes get out of hand. The arrival of a special little winged friend should bring change. Could it help him get in touch with his sweet side?

selected for the 11th Young Horizons International Film Festival in Poland to the Documentaries Competition section | sept 2024

How do you cope with your parents’ divorce? This question is the focus of the second season of EOdoc’s youth documentary series My Parents Are Divorced. In the four short documentaries Summer without you, Angry Enzo, Roco and Noï and Little boss, children show what impact it has when their parents split up and what problems they are left with. Should you be happy for your father when he has a new girlfriend? What should you do when grief turns into anger? And how do you talk to your parents about the pain you feel deep inside?

Every year, about 86,000 children in the Netherlands are told that their parents are splitting up. A third of these children experience this breakup as a fighting divorce. Children often find it difficult to talk about this, leaving their perspective underexposed.

In the new season of My parents are divorced the films give shape to the processing of this drastic event. In a probing, open, but also playful way, children tell what their parents’ divorce does to them and how they deal with their grief. In the first series the focus was on the different phases of a divorce. The second part gives fellow sufferers tools for change.

Where to see in the Netherlands

Dutch Public Television broadcast at EOdocs 23.04.2023.

Angry Enzo (Boos Enzo) and the seven other youth documentaries within the series My Parents Are Divorced can be seen here: Mijn ouders zijn gescheiden – 2Doc.nl

Impact statement

Margit Balogh, editor-in-chief of EOdocs:

“In My Parents Are Divorced, children speak out about the divorce. They confront their parents, they express that they don’t want to choose, that they want to love both parents and that they want a safe and warm home. On the one hand, the series should provide tools for children so that they can give the stress of divorce back to their parents. On the other hand, it tells parents an honest, relatable and confrontational story from the perspective of children, so that looking away is not possible.”

Numerous screenings of the film have taken place in both cinema and classroom settings for  students aged 9 to 12. Following the screenings, the young audiences had the opportunity to engage with a Spoken Word artist. During these sessions, the artist discussed the importance and value of using language to express emotions and personal experiences related to divorce.

Moreover, our collaboration with the Villa Pinedo foundation marks a pivotal stride forward. By seamlessly integrating the documentary series into a dynamic educational program catering to students, teachers, youth workers, and local authorities, we embark on a transformative journey. These documentaries, rich with authentic narratives, serve as a potent catalyst, igniting conversations that delve into the experiences of children with divorced parents.

The power of these real-life stories lies not just in their emotional resonance, but also in their potential to reshape our society’s understanding of this often-overlooked aspect of family dynamics. By harnessing the films as poignant conversation starters, we aspire to spark a profound shift in how divorced parents and their children are perceived and supported.

In collaboration with Villa Pinedo, we arm our stakeholders with a comprehensive toolkit and a wealth of educational resources. This equips them to facilitate meaningful dialogues and provide invaluable guidance, ultimately empowering these children to navigate the complexities of their circumstances while preserving their innocence. This endeavor isn’t merely about creating awareness—it’s about catalyzing a positive, enduring change in our collective consciousness.

Contact us if you are a teacher and you want more information about a Spoken Word workshop in your class.