Poil de carotte (Karottenkopf) (1925)

Poil de carotte is a children's drama set in the French provinces between an indifferent father (Henry Krauss), an unjust and ill-intentioned mother (Charlotte Barbier-Krauss) and two good-for-nothing, yet excessively favored older siblings. The parents live side by side in a hopelessly broken marriage. An intertitle characterizes the mother of the title character, who is only called "Poil de carotte" because of his red hair, as a liar and chatterbox. And on top of that, like an unpredictable force of nature, the meanness of the haggard woman is repeatedly unleashed on the boy, who is actually a lovable, lively child, but whose spirits are systematically exorcized in his short life. In 1932, Duvivier made a sound film version of the story, which can be seen directly afterwards. (Ralph Eue)

Photo: Austrian Film Museum