Stephen Woolley

It makes all the sense in the world that Jamie Jay Johnson studied under Kim Longinotto. There's something effortless yet incredibly powerful in his ability to put his subjects at ease and quickly move past their public masks to find truths both funny and shocking. That Johnson chooses, in his debut feature, to tell the stories of pre-teen contestants in Europe's biggest pop music competition is, well, entirely appropriate. Like the young, would-be pop stars of the Junior Eurovision Song show more Contest, Jamie is all energy and enthusiasm behind the camera, propelling his story forward at a vertiginous speed — turning sequins and day-glo into blurs of pure energy. But, as always, it's the kids who make the movie — and I dare you to remain unmoved by their heart-on-sleeve drive to be the biggest little pop stars in Europe. (DW)

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