Dear Little (Netflix): the series is so disturbing that the two young actors don’t know what it’s really about

Series Dear little one is a hit on Netflix. Certain scenes can nevertheless be disturbing, even distressing. This is partly why the production had to adapt the script for the two young actors.

Since it was put online on September 8, Dear little one caused a sensation among Netflix subscribers. The German series, made up of ten episodes, even quickly managed to find a place in the top most viewed content of the moment, and not just any content: the first! The fiction begins with the discovery of Lena, locked in what looks like a house, with her children, Hannah and Jonathan. She, like the youngest, must obey strict rules decided by “daddy”. One day, Lena manages to escape, followed by Hannah. But this little taste of freedom far from “home” won’t last long… Dear little one is a psychological thriller that can offend the sensibilities of spectators, especially younger ones. This is why Isabel Kleefeld and Julian Pörksen, screenwriters and directors, designed a specially reserved scenario to the two children, Naila Schuberth (Hannah), who was 10 years old at the time of filming, and Sammy Schrein (Jonathan) who was only 8 years old.

Dear little one (Netflix): the production has created scenarios specially reserved for children

The creators of the series wondered about the best way to proceed. How to get such young children to play in a psychological thriller without traumatizing them for life? The answer: create their own scenario for them! “So we had the idea of ​​writing a script for children, a parallel version of the script adapted to their age. We then reworked them with the psychologist and the media education specialist before the children received their own script . Of course, the parents had already consulted them beforehand.” Concretely, what are the differences with the classic script of Dear little one ?

A less anxiety-provoking scenario for the two young actors of Dear little one

As the directors explain, “in the children’s version, the dialogues and actions of the children are integrated into a modified context adapted to their age. For example, regarding the psychopath, in the children’s scenario he plays an extremely anxious father, very too worried about his family and wanting to prevent anyone from getting hurt at all costs. He is also portrayed as someone who has a strong obsession with hygiene.”

Article written in collaboration with 6Medias