Alexandra

For her graduation film from the Utrecht School of the Arts, director Sarah Harkink looked up some of her old girlfriends who were with her in the girls' section ("Sector Alexandra") of the Harreveld youth detention facility. Her conclusions are shocking: 90 percent of the young women who were "treated" there - with no scientific basis whatsoever - are not doing well. Now in her twenties, Harkink ended up in Harreveld because of aggressive behavior: she hit a police officer, abused drugs, was frequently suspended from school and threatened her father with a pair of scissors. All of this was a long time ago, and she seems like a different person now, but this awful period is still fresh in the memories of her girlfriends. After Harreveld, Marcella spent many years living on the streets because her family disowned her. When she finally got a home of her own, it proved to be a bittersweet experience. Karin ran away from Harreveld and fled to Belgium. Talking about Harreveld is painful: she spent days alone in her cell, with no one to look up to, and was not allowed to attend school. Marina has a young daughter and works in the sex industry. She is satisfied with her life, until one day when she gets a call from Youth Services. Harkink herself is prominent in the film - both as an interviewer and a friend.