Into the Blue takes viewers inside a police bootcamp for young girls living in public housing in Copenhagen. Given little forewarning about what the week-long experience will hold, the mixed group of girls find themselves in a series of simulations where they learn to apprehend suspects in handcuffs, respond to riots, handle guns and more. Through the observational lens and moody blue-and-green colour palette of the Copenhagen-based filmmaker Ömer Sami, the effect is jarring, as the girls pivot from chit-chat in the barracks to role-playing exercises that often look more like hazing rituals than educational opportunities. In his portrait, Sami focuses on the experience of Tatheer, a shy and gentle 12-year-old girl. In her veil, riot gear and holding a replica pistol, she starts the week looking even more out of place than her tween peers – before eventually finding her stride.
Director: Ömer Sami
Producer: Alma Dyekjær Giese
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