Om sandhed, fjendebilleder og tilgivelse. To naboer lever side om side, men har ikke hilst på hinanden i 15 år. I stedet har de bygget, ikke bare én, men to høje hække mellem sig. De er uenige om, hvad der skete en dag for 15 år siden, hvor to unge piger løb ind på den enes mark. Så langt er de enige, men her skilles beretningerne, og uenighederne starter. Blev pigerne forulempede? Eller var pigerne grove? Måske har en af naboerne ret – måske har de begge ret, eller måske har ingen af dem ret. Det er nemlig svært at være ærlig – særligt overfor sig selv.
Filmen handler om, hvordan sådanne forskellige virkelighedsopfattelser kan skabe fjendskab, og ikke mindst hvordan man overkommer fjendskabet igen.

Side by Side – pitch in English:
A movie about truth, enemy images and forgiveness. Two neighbors live side by side, but they haven’t greeted each other for 15 years. Instead they have built not just one but two high hedges between them. They disagree about what happened 15 years ago when two young girls ran into the field owned by one of the men. They agree that this happened, but they each have different versions of the following events and this is where the disagreements begin. Were the girls mistreated? Or were the girls crude? Maybe one of the neighbors is right – maybe they are both right, or maybe none of them are. It is hard to be honest – especially with yourself. The movie is about how different perceptions of reality can create hostility and not least about how to overcome that hostility.

Info & credits:

Dansk titel: Side om side
Andre titler: Side by side
Instruktør: Christian Sønderby Jepsen
Instruktørassistent: Mira Jargil
Produktion: Jesper Jack (Producer), Cosmo Film Doc
Fotograf: Niels Thastum
Klipper: Rasmus Stensgaard Madsen
Musik: Jonas Colstrup
Lyd: Johannes Elling Dam

Produktionsland: Danmark
Varighed: 37 min.
Premiere: 7. Maj 2009 (Canada) (Hot Docs International Documentary Festival)
Tv-premiere: DR2 kl. 21:46 d. 16/3 – 2010
Finansiering: Støttet af New Danish Screen
Dansk distribution: Cosmo Film Doc
Internationalt salg: Upfront Films / info@upfrontfilms.dk / www.upfrontfilms.dk
Festivalhåndtering: Danish Film Institute