Ahmed - Almost 13

Ahmed lives with his Chechen parents and younger brothers on the outskirts of Oslo. The family fled to Norway because of the war between the Chechens and the Russians, but his parents want to return to their country as soon as possible. In Ahmed's home, his dad is the boss, the one you respect without questioning. As the oldest son, Ahmed is responsible for his brothers, the shopping, and all kinds of odd jobs. Ahmed explains that he's being told he'll be an adult soon, and that he needs to act like one. Now that he's almost 13, he's starting to think about his future and his role in the family. The film captures Ahmed during these formative months. The family often watches old home movies from Russia, while Ahmed's father talks proudly about his plans for the family. In the home movies, the boys see a seemingly happy, hardworking man who looks very different from their now unemployed, depressed dad. Ahmed asks him directly why he's not the man he used to be. The youngster starts to rebel against his dad more and more, while his doubts grow about a future in Russia. (International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam)