Little Miss Grown Up

Playing the role of mother at 14 is quite something, and the Danish Xenia knows all about it. Her father is out of the picture, so she and her mother take care of her little brother and two sisters. She confesses to the camera that life isn't easy, but her undesired role as a surrogate parent has become her reality. When we watch mother and daughter sitting side by side on the couch, they react almost identically to the little ones begging for attention. Parenting isn't all that beneficial to her studies, and Xenia's mother would also like her to associate more with her peers. After her own childhood spent taking care of her alcoholic parents and falling behind at school, her mom knows what to do. A year at a boarding school seems to be an appropriate solution. Xenia is a little apprehensive: she's afraid her mother won't be able to manage by herself. Fears that she won't be able to make new friends worries her even more. Among all the cool, high-heeled girls, Xenia does seem to be the odd one out. But when we visit her two months later, a lot has changed.