30-year-old Rikard is autistic, constantly ridiculed because of his severely disfigured appearance. Having been separated from his mother as soon as he was born, he escapes from his grim reality into a fantasy world in which he’s a giant; this way he can live with his mother in peace. He believes that if he wins at the Scandinavian Pétanque championships, his mother will come to find him. So he decides to take on this seemingly impossible challenge in order to achieve his dream. Starting with an explanation of Pétanque, which is similar to the French game of boules, The Giant has a powerful documentary feel to it, particularly given the use and movement of the hand-held camera that follows the characters. Rikard’s severely disfigured face adds further credence to this realistic impression. Both the affection that Rikard’s father has toward him and Rikard’s longing for his mother deliver to the viewer heartrending moments, while the final ten minutes deservedly escalate this delightful movie to being one of the most impressive debut films of the year. (RHEE Souewon)