CinéDialoog: Flophouse America

Mikal (12) was born and raised in a run-down hotel room that he shares with his parents, who both struggle with addiction. Mikal’s biggest wish is for his father and mother to stop drinking. But what does it really take for someone to change?

Due to the ongoing housing crisis in the United States, many people are forced to live in dilapidated hotels, also known as flophouses. Twelve-year-old Mikal shares a small, cheap room in one of these hotels with his parents, Jason and Tonya, and their cat, Smokey. Their home is marked by chaos and alcohol abuse, but also by love and the hope for a better future. Photographer Monica Strømdahl spent years traveling through the U.S. to document life in these hotels. Eight years ago, she met Mikal – one of many children growing up in these circumstances. In this coming-of-age documentary, she follows him for three years, portraying both the pain of a broken childhood and the warmth and complexity of family.

After the film, Monica Strømdahl joins the conversation to shed light on how she managed to create a work full of warmth and genuine care while dealing with such sensitive issues and fragile characters.