Allein in Vier Wänden plot
Documentary about a Russian reform school for very young delinquents, who have often committed serious crimes. Paradoxically enough, the interior offers them, albeit in a strict manner, the boundaries and guidance that make it possible for a child to be a child for a while. They are not yet fifteen years old and are already stuck behind walls and wires. In a Russian reform school, 120 children are taught obedience. They are all juvenile delinquents, convicted of theft, rape or murder. More than 90% of them will return to crime after serving their sentences, in part because without a criminal 'career' they simply cannot survive in a society that offers them virtually no opportunity. Against the background of this knowledge, the prison willfully becomes a strange safe haven, free from the daily struggle to get enough money and food. Here they get food and clothing. They go to school and can play sports. They can be children for a while. Yet they lack any prospect of a normal childhood.