‘The Debit Card’ Director Hoped Oscar-Qualifying Short Could Expose ‘System’ of Overworked Au Pairs

In a chat with TheWrap’s Steve Pond, Executive Editor, Awards, for TheWrap Screening Series, four shorts filmmakers discussed their crop of wide-ranging, Oscar-qualifying films that they hope will create a splash in a burgeoning emergence of short films, a category known for not only launching bold new voices (Andrea Arnold, Martin McDonagh) but also validating the ambitions of well-established performers (Riz Ahmed, Christine Lahti, Peter Capaldi) looking to stretch.

First on deck was director Thijs Bouman, whose 19-minute short “De Pinpas (The Debit Card)” chronicles a Polish au pair feeling entrusted with the debit card PIN code provided by the family who employs her.