Synopsis
SKUNK tells the story of Liam, a boy who grew up with lowlife, sex, alcohol and drug addicted parents, in a house where the basement served as his bedroom. He grew up to be a confused boy with an extremely violent western movie as the inspiration of his obsession; the scalping of small animals.
Liam is a loner at school, he gets bullied a lot and as a defense he relieves himself. This way he creates his own little bubble, a moment of peace. At school they try to get in touch with his parents, they try to alert them, but it doesn’t resolve much. Only when Liam really derails at school and his father completely lashes out at him, there is an intervention.
Liam is taken away from his home and is placed in a boarding school. He needs a long time to adjust but gradually he starts to find peace there. Even though the past is still haunting him in his head. After a certain time, however, he completely flips out when a pedophile educator touches him inappropriately. A pain from the past comes up.
Liam is placed in a closed institution. Life is hard. He makes one friend, who, like him, has a sinister obsession. The only bright spot in the institution is his mentor. She listens to him and Liam's life seems to come to a turning point. He develops a passion for photography, but the problem of him relieving himself remains. As if it wasn’t meant to be, everything goes down hill when Liam is raped at night by the popular boy Momo. He relapses, although his mentor continues to support him. Liam falls in love with her and sees her as perhaps his only way out. One day, Liam is allowed to go to a regular school again, a school that Momo attends.
Liam sees only one bright spot, his 17th birthday, the moment he will deal with his worst tormenters. He murders his rapist in a sinister manner and lets his parents pay with their lives for his despicable upbringing. He ends his own life for good by drowning himself in the cesspool of the parental house. He becomes one with the smell of his bubble in which he has always found peace.
SKUNK is a story based on the book SKUNK by child psychiatrist Geert Taghon. This book and the film are based on real crimes children and youngsters have committed. With this film we want to stress the need for help with such children. We want to open a discussion about the fact that their actions are often the result of what they have experienced as a child. Especially today, when so many children are completely alone among the flood of refugees and if those children are being abused, it will have a disastrous effect on their future.