Discoveries from Netherlands World Cinema

A young woman finds herself struggling to maintain her mental health and grounded family life on a rural Dutch island when her capricious, city-dwelling thespian mother falls incurably ill and expects her increasingly regular company and assistance.

When two lovers embark on an adventurous journey through Lithuania, an unexpected crisis puts their relationship to the test.

Sons of God is not just a film. It's a unique insight into a world where faith and love are no longer unattainable concepts - but actualized reality. Inexplicable miracles. Lives radically transformed. Sons and daughters living lives abandoned to their God.

Nicaragua, today. Eleven-year-old María lives with her mother Lilibeth on the edge of an immense rubbish dump. Their future depends on selling a litter of purebred puppies to a local gang member. When the deal falls through, Lilibeth has to move to the outskirts of the city and leave María to work at a recycling factory. The days go by with no sign of her mother's return. María feels abandoned, confused and angry. One night she meets Tadeo, a kind and romantic boy determined to help her find her mother.

A troubled teenager attempts to conquer the girl he's in love with, who seems out of reach. He's lured into criminal activities and becomes alienated from family and friends.

A diverse group of people are stuck in a traffic jam on a foggy highway, the mist persists and becomes a cloak of uncertainty.

When an atomic clock lags for 1 second –an event that happens once every 30 million years– two characters start hearing strange sounds that no one else hears. Time is displaced and continually disputed for the protagonists, as they pass their days under the influence of a decades-old nuclear reactor, a relic of the Cold War holding nuclear waste with a millenary half-life, and the millions of years required for the formation of mountains, which are studied at the reactor, at the atomic level.

The sensitive Benjamin is being mocked by his bat family because he's afraid of the dark. When on top he falls in love with a bird, he becomes a complete outcast. But his love helps him conquer his fear and stand for who he truly is.

Comical short film shows how fifty-year-old Diana Roos is doing her driving test for the twenty-sixth time. Very nervous and having the hiccups, Diana takes her seat next to the moustached examiner. But the latter is more engaged in the quarrel with his wife than in Diana. He keeps cursing into his mobile phone and is blind to the obstacles appearing in front of the car. With growing resolution, Diana disposes of all the hurdles on the way.

Pizza maffia vertelt het verhaal van Ibrahim en zijn neef Illias. Iedereen kent ze als Bram en Haas, de twee snelste koeriers van pizzeria Novara. De twee jongens zijn onafscheidelijk. Elke avond racen ze op hun scooter door de stad en halen de bruutste stunts uit om als eerste bij de klant te zijn. De pizzeria is eigendom van Brams vader, maar sinds hij met een hernia thuis zit, runt oom Faris de tent. Faris, de vader van Haas, is een geboren pizzabakker en de bestellingen vliegen dan ook de deur uit. Toch blijken de inkomsten tegen te vallen. De vader van Bram verdenkt zijn broer ervan dat hij geld achterhoudt. Als hij hem hiermee confronteert, ontstaat er een heftige ruzie en Faris vertrekt. Tot op het bot gekrenkt begint de trotse Faris vervolgens zijn eigen pizzeria, aan de overkant van het plein. Binnen no-time breekt er tussen de twee pizzeria?s een ware pizza-oorlog uit, waarin alles en iedereen wordt meegesleept.

From schools and offices to hospitals and streets, cleaners are working everywhere, tirelessly and modestly. They work hard and keep society running. Invisible confronts viewers with their own involvement and reveals the price paid for the appearances we cherish.

The Van Kampen family is in for another big surprise. They have just settled in nicely among their new friends, when they receive the news that the Hollandwijk is threatened with demolition. To make matters worse, Erik's father, the oppertatta, comes to live with them and everything the Tatta's have built up is thrown completely out of balance.

In September 2002 the famous Russian conductor Valery Gergiev gave some master classes in Rotterdam to three young, and talented, but just starting colleagues. Under Gergiev's supervision the three aspiring conductors were asked to conduct the Rotterdam Youth Philharmonic Orchestra in a demanding programme of two works by Scriabin - "Poem of Ecstasy" and "Prometheus".

Based on three stories by R.J. Peskens.

Determined to launch their sexual wellness startup with a bang, two friends set out to produce a female-friendly adult film.

One of the Baba's disappears from the face of the earth and his friends find him back. In doing so, the Baba's take it on against the evil Cordelia Zen, witch is trying to deprive all children of their spontaneity and joy of life.

De Mantel der Liefde is a bizarre, over the top and at times hilarious settling of scores with the Catholic Church, commercial movie culture and 1970's petit bourgeois Dutch culture in general.

A film about the Veluwe region of the Netherlands, by the director of the Gemeentelijke Schoolbioscoop in Rotterdam. We see detailed images of villages, towns, moors, streams, ponds, poultry, and sheep farming. Van der Wel shot his own footage (according to the intertitles), but also used existing films. He drew mainly on the ‘city films’ from the catalogue of HAP & BenS. We see, for example, images from the films "Oosterbeek aan den Rijn" and "De Steeg" made by the Arnhem film company AFKO; and from the films made for Haghe Film "From Arnhem en omstreken" to "Barneveld and Elburg", directed by Willy Mullens.

A man of independent means oddly suited to survival amid the chaos of modern life, Inni Wintrop is a committed dabbler, content to casually wander the streets of Amsterdam, follow the dips and rises of the stock exchange and commodities market, speculate in art and love, and write a newspaper horoscope column. But his inconsistencies are interrupted when he meets two men who are the epitome of order and regulation.

Brenda, Laura, Ruben and Willem meet each other at an uneasy therapy session. The unconventional therapist (Pamela Tevis) tells them they only have 48 minutes left to live. Looking back at their lives, they start making choices they never dared before. ** This movie was made as part of the 48 Days Film Project: all writing, shooting and editing happened within 48days.

Witnessing the political left's steady electoral decline over two decades of neoliberal rule, Dutch author and journalist Johan Fretz explores what, if anything, remains of his country's Labour Party and its once-powerful ideals.

On a faraway planet, home to Bobtors, an astronaut-doctor suffers from a lack of oxygen. To survive she has to pay the highest price as both a human and as a medic.

Kos (13) is going through the most bizarre period in his life. His mother died a few years ago and his dad is having a heart attack. While Kos’ father is in the hospital, it looks like the hotel he is running will be a big mess. But Kos and his three sisters do not intend to let that happen. After the siblings find out that father is deep in financial problems, the hotel is threatened with closure. The children however come up with a solution: someone has to win the local beauty pageant, with a hefty cash prize attached.

At their annual summer building club ‘Camp Scrapwood’, best friends Ziggy (12) and Bas (12) find themselves on opposing sides for the first time in their lives. At summer club, best friends Ziggy and Bas (12) are on opposing sides for the first time in their lives. Different secondary schools, different parental expectations and now falling in love with the same girl lead to all-out war between them. They begin to fight. Initially, tougher Bas fights hard, but soon has doubts about the row. Meanwhile, the gentle Ziggy gradually toughens up and becomes determined to win… A family film about friendship, love, jealousy… and being a boy.

Sjaak and Clara founded the very first food bank in the Netherlands in 2002. Since handing over their responsibilities at the food bank, they have continued their mission unabated. They still run a soup kitchen and the Social Café Onder de Oranjeboom (Under the Orange Tree), where vulnerable members of society can find a hot meal, support, and a good conversation. For many years, this dedicated couple has been committed to helping people in Rotterdam living in poverty.

What happens if you take the law into your own hands, start correcting the legal system on your own initiative? Hans Croiset, André van den Heuvel, Bram van der Vlugt and Kitty Courbois in their roles of aged resistance heroes do not think this is such a bad idea; in fact, it is what they already did during World War II. Back then, they formed a sworn resistance gang. The occasion for their renewed fighting spirit is the brutal robbery and murder of Marjan, one of the members of their former group. Past and present start blending. In a controlled tempo, alert to detail and acting, a story unravels that focuses on Hans Croiset in the role of Simon, a retired teacher of Dutch. He makes contact with the underworld, meeting the Slavic Goran, who starts feeling sympathy for the old man. Eventually, fate lies in Simon's hands.

When their son suddenly dies the long divorced Ton and Fransje seek comfort with each other.

Feature based on the novel with the same name by the Flemish writer Louis Paul Boon. The celebrated author lives in a cul de sac threatened with demolition. He observes his neighbors in their struggle against the threat that leads to selfishness, individualism and resignation. The writer invents a new street that is outside the new world.

Just before December 5, Sinterklaas mysteriously disappears from the castle. The Club's Pieten don't understand what's going on and become worried. When Sinterklaas reappears a little later, he says unkind things and behaves strangely. What happened to Sinterklaas? And what was that Toy Doctor doing at the castle? It is Mees and his neighbor Katja who discover what is going on with Sinterklaas and what the secret of the peculiar Toy Doctor is. Pakjesavond is in danger, and they must warn the Pieten of the Club van Sinterklaas as soon as possible! Will the Club Pieten and Mees & Katja manage to unmask the Toy Doctor in time? Will they succeed in making sure that Pakjesavond can still go ahead this year?

A talented gymnast makes a life-changing discovery as she prepares for an important tournament, which is her last chance to reach the top.

The red-haired Loulou, who suddenly appears in Guy and Alfred's car, doesn't exactly bring them luck. The heavily armed and rather tough dropout from the terrorist scene not only sets her ex-comrades on them, but also a vengeful cop. The two guys don't have time for cat-and-mouse games. They are traveling from Amsterdam to Barcelona on behalf of a drug ring with several bags full of ecstasy, while Alfred's wife Anna is being held hostage in Holland to secure the dealers. If the two don't answer a call at a set time every few hours in a specific phone booth, Anna will not fare well. Then Loulou literally falls from the sky and throws all their plans into disarray. And time is running out...

Heinz is Amsterdam personified: a happy-go-lucky freeloader. However, he's in big trouble with his girlfriend Dolly. One day he is looking after their baby - the next day he finds himself on a mysterious island, and his son is missing! As he searches desperately for the boy, Heinz discovers he's been an unwitting pawn in the evil schemes of the diabolical windbag Git. During a spectacular showdown in New York, Heinz thwarts Git's attempts to eradicate mankind and rescues his son - sort of...

Three scantily-clad female figures struggle to hold up the crumbling remains of an ancient Greek temple.

Baton is an absurdist animated short about sentiments, statements and hierarchical power structures, within the functionality of the new police baton.

The Passion is a sensational retelling of the last hours of Jesus' life. During a major cultural pop event in the centre of Gouda, famous artists will interpret the age-old Passion story using a contemporary Dutch repertoire.

A rainy evening in the harbor of Antwerp. A man named Laarmans is on his way home even though he doesn't want to. Three lost Eastern sailors are looking for a woman named Maria Van Dam and ask Laermans to show them the way. He decides to help them find this mysterious woman.

An experimental short film made as part of a multi-media triptych, originally screened alongside a fashion collection and an art-installation. Drawing from Papa Yorick’s (Director and fashion designer) thesis “Men Are My Cumrag”, the film reenacts eight mainstay gay porn scripts, incorporating and parodying tropes and clichés, that explore masculine identities within the gay porn industry, through a satirical and critical lens.

Documentary about the Dutch theatregroup the Werktheater. The aim of the company was to create socially relevant theater by means of cooperative processes and improvisation. They often played their performances on location, such as in hospitals, prisons, healthcare institutions and schools. In this documentary, those involved are interviewed about this remarkable theater group.

It's been twenty years since the horrible events that happened to Little Red Riding Hood, but she still fears that the past may come back to haunt her.

Nocturnal Butterflies is Servais' serene and melancholic homage to Belgian surrealist Paul Delvaux (1897-1994), whose architectural paintings serve as the basis for the mise-en-scène for the film, and whose opaquely gazed women represent the enigmatic, silent witnesses who guard the secrets of the eccentric artist's curious world of precisely rendered, hermetic construction.

Two detectives, Rashad and Safiya, have been sent to investigate a crime scene. While Rashad unsuspectingly searches through rooms, the investigation takes a turn for Safiya when she discovers that she knows the victim.

Mirte is a cleaner in the reception centre for asylum seekers at the airport. She tries to forget her past through routine. When the charismatic West African Luc is brought in, Mirte seems to get a grip on her life again. A film about loss, fleeing and love from an unexpected corner.

A criminal from Amsterdam barely surviving a liquidation. An old Frisian farmer bent on revenge. An illegal immigrant with uncertain prospects. Eventually, they meet under an ancient oak tree. Beyond the last town.

The friendship between two hooligans is showing cracks as one still thrives on the violent world, while the other tries to escape its empty existence. Raoul thrives on the chaos of the hooligan life, while Anouar searches for a way out of the violence and emptiness. This debut film shows how their friendship is tested when Anouar distances himself, afraid to face his true feelings. Raoul refuses to let go. For him, riled up and high on drugs, instilling fear is the way to command respect. His buddy Anouar, however, is increasingly fed up with the world rife with violence and toxic masculinity.

Meissy (10) discovers that her father Tom (37) is not traveling the world as she thought, but is actually living homeless in her city. She decides to find him and tries to reunite her parents. Despite her mother's objections, she becomes increasingly involved in Tom's life and learns that he is struggling with schizophrenia.

Tarik helps his father Elias transport illegal immigrants into the Netherlands. When an accident occurs, Tarik gains the acknowledgment from his father he has yearned for, but at a high price - the loss of his own innocence.

Besides the stray dog Mingus, 11 year old Sophia has no real friends. She is pushed around by the "Beastie boys", a gang of street kids who have built an entire camp in the trees of a junk yard. One day Sophia hears that the yard is ordered to be cut down by Carlow, the mayor. Mingus, who lives in the yard, will be taken away and put to sleep. Sophia is shocked but just then she meets a gypsy, who lends her an old leather ball. For five days only. The ball is alive and may just be able to help her saving the yard. And indeed the ball proves being an amazing character. It makes objects fly and communicates with Sophia through whistling, and successfully attacks Carlow's bodyguard "Sweetlove". Sophia is accepted in the gang. She realises that the ball might chase the mayor's men off the yard. Yet, Sophia discovers that even great magic sometimes has dark sides: when Sophia's new friend Romeo tries to kiss her, the ball grows jealous and turns vicious...

Kaat leaves Max the day after her thirtieth birthday and moves in with her friend Sascha. Kaat is in trouble. She is pregnant and doesnt know if the father is Max or Christophe, the boyfriend of Isa, another good friend of Kaat and Sascha. While Sascha and Isa try to find out what is really going on, Kaat keeps her mouth tightly shut and makes plans to cover her tracks by arranging a speedy abortion.

The brief but intense encounter of a Greek police officer and a Syrian refugee changes the way the two see this world.

In 1984, Ate de Jong, Dick Maas and George Schouten founded The Directors, a band made up of movie directors. Later on, more directors joined and so did actors, actresses and singers. This documentary follows the band members at home, on the set, at rehearsals and during performances. It’s a story of friendship, opposing characters, growing old and ambitions and illusions. Anecdotes and archive films provide a hilarious flashback on the lives of the film friends. Time has treated them well. Everybody is or has been successful. To rough it all up, they decide to write a song that will be played at one of the band member’s funeral.

During the Nazi regime in France in World War II, Pastor Fontaine and the town of Chambon undertake a mission to protect and shelter the children of many of the Jews sent to concentration camps.

A family with five children flees the war raging in their home village on the Russian border. They end up in Mshanets, a farming village on the other side of the country, remote and unknown. Here the family starts building a new home. At the same time, two documentary makers come to the village, looking for a story. In the Lymar family they find the ideal characters for their film. But one day, when the renovation of their house is almost finished, the family disappears. The filmmakers go in search of their characters and along the way they try to find an answer to the question: what does a person need to feel at home?

Erbarme dich - Matthäus Passion Stories is a labyrinthine narrative in which notables such as Peter Sellars, Emio Greco, Simon Halsey and painter Rinke Nijburg explain their special relationship with Bach’s St Matthew Passion to Ramón Gieling (Johan Cruijff: en un momento dado). They speak against the backdrop of a church which has fallen into disrepair, while a choir of homeless people and Pieter Jan Leusink’s Bach Choir & Orchestra rehearse the Passion. Leusink isn't just the conductor, he is one of the main characters himself, with a painful past in which this musical piece has played a dominant role. Stories from the others alternate seamlessly with this. We learn how the St Matthew Passion played a decisive role in the relations between men and women, fathers and sons, fathers and daughters, mothers and their unborn children, and finally that in spite of our differences we all find a common denominator in the secret of Bach's music.

Jöran has a bipolar disorder, which makes him vulnerable to depression, mania and psychosis. He can sympathize well at the moment, but that has been different in the past. Jöran delves into his dark past and talks to the people who experienced his illness up close. How do you deal with this disorder and the misunderstood behavior that comes with it? And how do you break the taboo that still exists on disease pressure?

Hein Slotter, unpopular director of a pram factory, reluctantly agrees to celebrate his 25th anniversary. His only wish is that his successor and mentor, Slieps, gives a speech. Unfortunately Slieps is quite senile and only occasionally has a bright moment. Meanwhile, the party committee learns of a rumor concerning Slotter's younger days and plans to embarrass him during this festive occasion.

Kamiel steals the famous Brussels statue of Manneken Pis to impress his girlfriend Denise, the daughter of the man who is supposed to guard it. The Belgians, however, wrongly accuse the Dutch of having stolen their statue and hit back by stealing the statue of Hansje Brink.

Rock 'n Roll Junkie is a documentary about the extraordinary life of dutch rock 'n roll myth and personification of sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll Herman Brood.

Ibbeltje is a funny, curious and enterprising girl who is not afraid of anything. She lives with her mother, father and talking cats in a sleepy town. When her mother climbed on a day in fear of a dog in a tree, Ibbeltje discovers that she used to be a cat. She wants to know everything about. Ibbeltje's father works at an umbrella factory and ever had a magical umbrella of a witch. Ibbeltje find the umbrella, but the director of the umbrella factory will have the umbrella for himself to be very important.