School’s Out (Spangas)

When you’re in high school, the hard lessons you learn are not always taught in the class room. The many adventures of the culturally diverse secondary school ‘Spangalis College’ unfold through the eyes of 10 students.

The five boys and five girls discover love, form friendships, experience loneliness, sorrow, separation and belonging, as well as share their dreams for the future. These are themes universally recognizable with teenagers across the world.

Meet the girls: creative Fay (12), who cherishes her individuality and independence; temperamental and opinionated Surinamese Avalanche (15) who likes to take control; beautiful but lazy Jolé (15); Turkish Irmak (13) who sometimes struggles with her double cultural identity and Lana (15), a born worrier who is also the daughter of Spanga’s Deputy Head teacher.

Then there’s the boys: rebellious twin brothers Tobias and Flip (13), who both have a problem with their older sister Lana; Barry (16) who hates school, except when inspired by love; Moroccan Nassim (15), a ‘life and soul’ type aspiring to be a journalist and cheerful dreamer Luxor (12) who wears his heart on his sleeve.

Almost a character itself, the school is the backdrop for the drama, encouraging its pupils to take part in non-academic activities, from fashion shows and sports days to gaining work experience by organizing campaigns for worthy causes.