Photographer Monica Strømdahl took part in the 2017 ‘Flophouse America’ photo project of a Norwegian photography magazine. Those so-called 'flophouse hotels' are run-down, cheap hotels in the US, where mostly people who do not have the budget for long-term accommodation end up. Her intimate portraits have won several awards, and during one of her many trips to the hotels, she met Mikal. The brave boy hopes to help others by sharing his story. And like that, Flophouse America became Strømdah's first documentary, a film that feels incredibly warm and loving despite its poignant sadness.