In the light of the success of their first anti-bullying film, The Friendship, the Fiorenzoni brothers and Axel Bjällerstedt have embarked on yet another film adventure. The trio’s first project won the SIS anti-bullying contest for best movie two years ago. Hoping to replicate the goal of their past endeavours, they have now produced a sequel.

“Our aim was not to promote bullying, but tell people it is not okay. Recognising bullying is wrong has affected my choices. Now, that I am aware of it, I can help others,” Eric Fiorenzoni has said.

The plot concerns a group of three friends in which one struggles with controlling his anger. Eventually he cannot handle, nor keep control over his steadily growing, ever unmanageable rage. Soon, the latter starts bullying his friends. Verbal insults ripen into physical attacks; the adolescent feels no remorse. In time, the aggressor loses those he holds so dear; and the friendship shared and cherished by the boy and his two friends falls apart.

However, it is only once the bully realises “the error of his ways” that he is able to overcome his incessant acrimony and belligerence, thus repairing a broken bond and restoring the friendship all three have come to dearly embrace.

When asked about the challenges they faced, Eric Fiorenzoni  said that, “these always exist and often take the form of developing and improving editing skills.” The planning process, he noted, was more elaborate than the previous one as they had decided to make a script this time around.

In regard to cinematography, Eric Fiorenzoni said that it would always “remain a hobby”, but was not something he would like to engage himself in full-time. The moral of the story, he says, is that “bullying can ruin friendships.”

When asked whether these two short films were to ever become a trilogy, wistfully, Eric Fiorenzoni  turned down the idea, mentioning that the project was quite time-consuming. Despite this being the “last entry in the short film series,” we owe a big thank you to all three actors, directors, and producers for their effort in raising awareness of the problems of bullying and conveying the consequences, not only for the bullied, but also for the bully themselves.