THE BAD GUY

SYNOPSIS – After moving to the US, filmmaker and first-time mom Louise is in the midst of searching for a daycare when, just a couple of hours away, one of the deadliest school shootings to ever happen unfolds. In an elementary school in the sleepy town of Uvalde, Texas, a teenager kills 21 people, including 19 young children.

Concerned about sending her daughter into the American school system, Louise takes a deep dive into school safety measures. She discovers that huge budgets are being spent on surveillance systems, state lawmakers are allowing teachers to arm themselves in classrooms, and kids are taught active shooter drills from a very young age. It seems to stir everyone: how can we protect our children from ‘the bad guy’? Initially worried about school shootings, the filmmaker begins to wonder about the implications of these safety protocols and if she wants to expose her daughter to it.

‘The Bad Guy’ examines life in a society that has entered a vicious cycle of excessive security measures due to a dangerous mix of fear and access to guns: a society that defends itself against international threats with the most powerful weapons, but collectively fails to protect the very young from its own citizens within its own borders.