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Paw (film)

Paw (also known as Boy of Two Worlds) is a 1959 Danish film directed by Astrid Henning-Jensen. It tells the story of a boy from the Caribbean who, affected by the deaths of his parents and maiden aunt, escapes to the Danish forest.

Plot

Paw, a twelve-year-old orphan, arrives in Denmark accompanied by his late father's best friend, as his mother from the Caribbean and his Danish father passed away at his birth. He's to live with his unfamiliar Aunt Bo, who had only cared for her canaries until now. The urbanized country is quite foreign to Paw, leading to one culture shock after another. Rejected by his new environment, he escapes to a nearby Danish forest where he meets the Swedish poacher Anders, forming a close bond.

When Aunt Bo falls ill and dies, Paw is once again left without a family. However, a strong friendship has developed between him and Anders. When discussions arise about placing Paw in an orphanage, Anders steps in and offers to officially care for him. The forest becomes Paw's sanctuary, where he and Anders roam together, sharing survival skills. They try to evade the disapproval of a local landowner, but when Anders is arrested for poaching, Paw is sent to an orphanage. Confused and longing for his friend, Paw escapes again, finding solace on a nature reserve island where he befriends a young fox he saved. Meanwhile, the village assumes Paw has returned to the Caribbean. Once free, Anders locates Paw, renewing their bond.

Cast

Edvin Adolphson as Anders
Jimmy Sterman as Paw
Asbjørn Andersen as Gutsbesitzer
Ninja Tholstrup as Yvonne
Helge Kjærulff-Schmidt as Lehrer
Karen Lykkehus as Fräulein Bo
Preben Neergaard as Søofficer
Karl Stegger as Betjent Hansen
Ebba Amfeldt as Fru Hansen
Svend Bille as Onkel Pot
Ego Brønnum-Jacobsen as Mand ved skydetelt
Otto Hallstrøm
Mogens Hermansen as Godsejerens skytte
Grethe Høholdt as Betjentens datter Inger
Finn Lassen as Forstander på børnehjemmet

Release and reception

Paw was originally released in Denmark in December 1959. It was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film and was entered into the 1960 Cannes Film Festival. In the United States, the film was released in April 1970 by G. G. Communications under the title Boy from Two Worlds; twelve minutes were cut from the original 100-minute running time. In his Family Guide to Movies on Video, Henry Herx deemed it "a very engaging children's movie ... that will also interest adults".