Discoveries from Netherlands World Cinema

What if the control, of which U always thought U had, disappeared? Everything seems to be determined by something or someone else. Would U fight back?

New Year's show 2012

In 1811, hilarity ensues when a corrupt Dutch colonel mistakes a quack dentist for one of Napoleon's inspectors general.

Nocturnal life in the partly deserted dock area of Amsterdam. Director Marjoleine Boonstra encounters lone wolves, leading secluded lives in makeshift shelters, and people that work as pilots, night watchmen or skippers. According to a young pilot `it was actually like a dream', working by the IJ river at night. And this is what it looks like: a dream world. Between interviews, Boonstra makes her camera glide through the area, along the quay, across the water, along cranes, containers and sea-going vessels. A world of lamps, reflections and shadows. In this landscape of stone and metal, an extraordinary group of individuals lives and works. For example, an English woman cleans up a submarine for a party, a refugee from former Yugoslavia has created a place for himself and a night watchman has to `see to it that that boat stays where it is'. Peaceful music emphasises the relative quiet, in which the interviewees reflect on their lives and the harbour.

In 2022, 92% of those affected encountered aggression or violence. Frans Bromet portrays six influences who encounter violence while carrying out their work. The violence with which the actual consequences are, leaves personal physical, especially mental, traces.

Four people partake in a project aimed to mitigate the shortage of staff for elderly care.

For Felix, who has autism, hosting his own radio show is a way to try and better understand the world around him.

Daan van Citters and Joenoes Polnaija retrace the footsteps of their grandfathers in Indonesia. They both fought for the Netherlands against Indonesian independence: Daan’s grandfather went voluntarily from the Netherlands, Joenoes’s as a Moluccan soldier in the Dutch colonial army, KNIL. Their poignant journey forces them to ask themselves some difficult questions about guilt, shame and transgenerational transmission.

The eccentric Miss Ank tries to pick up the pieces at her primary after the loss of their principal. Faced with a shortage of teachers, and increasingly demanding parents, the board hires an interim head to get things in order. Pretty soon e-teaching takes over, with an actual robot replacing the teachers, and CCTV enabling over-involved parents to keep a constant eye on what’s happening. Finding themselves up against this heartless new regime, pupils and teachers decide to join forces and rebel.

Short documentary on Belgian artist Piet Bekaert.

Jeffrey lives in a small Dutch town with his father and his girlfriend. He is about to become a dad. Working in the local brick factory, he gets to supervise newbee Kevin. When Kevin tries to become intimate with him, Jeffrey knocks him to the ground. Yet he can't seem to get Kevin out of his head and starts to question everything that he was once so sure of.

Qlimax is an annual event held by the Dutch entertainment enterprise, Q-dance. It is considered one of the leading hardstyle events on the calendar and a major attraction of Q-dance and contains some of the most sophisticated production and setup as well as sound system for any event.

Inay (9) and her brother have a day off from school and they have to join their father who needs to go on a special trip. During this route, through the awakening city, Inay secretly tries to cause a delay. She knows that if they arrive late at their destination, she will be rewarded with loads of sweet desserts.

In this light-hearted low-budget comedy, two very different Flemish tween bachelors are best buds. Peter is a responsible professional, who's excited to get his first proper account as copy-writer in a small Belgian publicity firm- for condoms, a product the conservative boss dreads as slightly obscene. Tom however is a dare-all without much sense of decency, who earns his living as process-server and repo-man for a judicial bailiff. In their free time they're nearly inseparable, Tom cheering up his somewhat gloomy realistic friend and urging him to take silly risks during a weekend at the seaside and even cheat on his steady girlfriend. When the graphics department refuses to execute Peters idea for the condom campaign without a live male model, only Tom is pleasantly mad enough to pose stark-naked.

When Coen inherits a villa in the Spanish town of Cádiz, he decides to make a trip and sell it. The night of his departure, his ex lover Suzanne, visits him. She wants to come along. . Confronted by themselves, both Coen and Suzanne realize that this trip is not the answer to the problems in their lives. When they cross the French country side, they encounter a hitchhiker on his way to Avignon. They decide to go to Avignon, where the world famous theater festival distracts them from their grief. Meanwhile they try to find out if there’s still love between them. Are they still in love, or just good friends looking for comfort? Coen and Suzanne have to make a choice that determines their final destination.

Short film in which Dutch author Simon Carmiggelt visits the hairdresser.

A man learns to deal with the problems caused by the death of his powerful father.

The movie tells the story of the farming family Van de Velde, in the aftermath of the First World War. The farmer and his son, who have fought in the trenches of the Yser, are still missing in 1919, and the mother has died, so the eldest daughter Coralie runs the farm now on her own. She has welcomed 25 orphans during the war, but the Child Welfare Commission wants to put them in an orphanage. And some local notables with a sneaky plan want to take possession of the farm. But Coralie and the orphans fight back...

This documentary investigates the complete story of Van Gogh's life and work: from his childhood in Brabant, through his laborious years of apprenticeship in Nuenen and artistic coming-of-age in Paris to the exhilarating peak of his career in the south of France. This film contains unique footage of the places in Europe where Van Gogh lived and worked: in the Netherlands, Belgium and France.

What at first appears to be a surprise family holiday turns into a kidnapping and ends in a nightmare, when Simone discovers her father is on the run from serious problems. As she slowly realises that he is losing his mind and on the verge of doing awful harm, she decides to protect her family. Loosely based on a family drama in the Netherlands.

'My Sister' is about a 5-year-old girl, who is the silent witness of the growing tensions in her family, but is too little to intervene.

J. Kessels is the story of the bizarre road trip taken by a French literary pulp writer with his favourite character J. Kessels. The journey takes them from Tilburg to the Hamburg Reeperbahn in Kessels' old American 'Kamikaze' clunker as they seek out cheating dealer. When they get there they find a corpse in the trunk of the Kamikaze: easy to find, but how do you get rid of it?

23-year-old Nadia travels with her family to Morocco for her cousin's wedding. Nadia has been keeping a secret for a while—she wants to marry her boyfriend, Nofel. But how can she tell her parents? And how will her distant mother react?

Springen (Jumping) is an absurdist comedy set inside 'Sempa Vivax', an exclusive and highly unusual retirement home housed in a castle.The facility caters specifically to wealthy elderly residents, offering them the unique opportunity to fully realize their wildest, final fantasies and unfulfilled dreams. Under the guidance of the home's eccentric staff, the residents engage in bizarre and extravagant activities, which range from reenacting passionate past romances to staging a simulated atomic war for entertainment.The narrative unfolds through the various subplots of these residents as they navigate their surreal daily lives, attempting to escape the realities of old age and mortality through illusion and play. The story explores the chaotic dynamics between the elderly elite, their families, and the staff members who facilitate their increasingly elaborate delusions.

Daniele Gatti (then not yet as chief conductor) started a new chapter of this collaboration. Their spectacular 2017 production of Richard Strauss’ Salome is another highlight in the already impressive list. "If you were going to see just one Salome in your life, this would be a good choice" ***** Shirley Apthorp, Financial Times "What a magma of sound!" ***** Merlijn Kerkhof, Volkskrant "The level of precision and the way Gatti gradually increases the tension is almost unbearable… The effect is overwhelming and leaves the listener breathless." ***** Peter van der Lint, Trouw

A teen raised in the Netherlands by her single mother travels to their native Bosnia to visit the father who left them, as he’s been admitted to a rural hospital. Joined by her cousin and his best friend, they hit the road.

The twinbrothers Sietse and Hielke Klinkhamer want to raise money for their ill friend, Marieke.

The financial crisis of 2008 was a turning point during which the complexity of our financial system manifested itself. It was a web we had spun for over for more than thirty years ut it turned out to be a giant house of cards. Starting in the US where the Lehman Brothers fell, the crisis spread like wildfire. Only two weeks after Lehman, the crisis infected Europe..

Two ten-year-old girls go to a subtropical swimming paradise. They look forward to the wave pool and the chute, but are distracted by other, older swimmers. Like teenage girls with real breasts in the bubble bath, and big boys blocking the chute or taking their goggles. The little girls gradually seem to realise the days of their carefree childhood are numbered.

The peaceful cohabitation of two 30-something bachelors is disrupted when they both fall in love with the charming young woman who moves in with them.

Short black-and-white film about longing for true love. In an immense launderette, Joep (29) and Gonda (45) are waiting for their dreamed other half, who will make their lives truly meaningful.

Petty criminal Bert Oliemans goes down for stealing jewellery from a former SS man. After his release he is constantly followed by police commissioner Van Houthem and a greedy gang leader, both out to get their hands on the stolen jewels.

The Faces of Parkinson shows the people who suffer from Parkinson's disease and the impact it made on their life and people around and close to them. As it also asks the question how one continues to stay positive with such a destructive disease.

Lisa's brother, medic doctor Joe, develops a potion to travel to alternate dimensions. They go looking for their sister Nina, whom they lost in their own dimension. However, they must be careful, as they are not allowed to change anything in alternate worlds. When Lisa risks everything to bring Nina to their world, everything threatens to collapse.

A radical 'found-footage' remake of Diabolique (1996), a remake of the French suspense thriller Les diaboliques (1955). He puts the spotlight back on Sharon Stone, a forgotten film goddess, and perhaps the last real film diva?

As he turns 50, filmmaker Pini Schatz sets out to explore his life-long obsession with the band Sparks (the brothers Ron and Russell Mael). Pini charts the impact of Sparks on his life while meeting with fellow Sparks fans, among them famous musicians, in Tel Aviv, London, Berlin, Rotterdam and NYC. Structured as a personal quest of the filmmaker to prove that Sparks are the coolest underrated band in the history of popular music, this docu-comedy explores the universal themes of growing old and being an outsider, the importance of art in daily life and the power of non-conformism.

When Bosnian-born Aisha and cameraman Elias team up to shoot a documentary on the mysterious disappearance of Aisha's brother, they cross paths with another film crew, who are creating an even more sinister narrative.

Papa tries to put his resisting son to bed. He does not want to go to sleep yet. 'Look daddy, the moon is broken.' Now, daddy is fed up! He pushes the bed out of the window and together they fly through the air. The bed floats and rocks and with the help of drawn animation they even land on the moon. At last, there is mummy. But why doesn't she say anything? A touching fantasy about bidding farewell.

Vagabond Bob finds a suitcase belonging to stockbroker Peter and returns it to his hotel. There he meets Marion, who happens to be Peter's mistress. Unfortunately in doing so he loses his only possession of value: a lottery ticket.

A family takes a vacation in Limburg, where the annoying behaviour of the father soon causes tension. When the wife can’t take it anymore and leaves with the son, the man gets into trouble when he meets two hunters. Well-made short relies on its resounding punch line. Ouch, ouch!

A fascinating documentary about Piet Zwart (1885–1977), an idiosyncratic and stubborn designer, who lived for innovation and prepared the way for the international success that is now known as Dutch Design. Piet Zwart worked as an interior and industrial designer, commercial typographer, photographer, critic and lecturer, playing a key role in defining the design climate in the Netherlands in the Twentieth Century. He is especially known for designing the famous ‘Piet Zwart’ kitchen for the Dutch company Bruynzeel: a kitchen that could be easily produced and consisted of standardized elements. His versatility and influence on present-day designers led the Association of Dutch Designers to award him the title of “Designer of the Century” in 2000.

Nicky's whole world revolves around fitness, with the goal of getting bigger and stronger. By constantly monitoring his food consumption and weight, he seems to have his body and entire life under control. But when hidden childhood memories emerge, Nicky starts losing control and his body obsession sets off to an unhealthy direction.

Charlie is witty, inaccessible and - in her own words - fundamentally dialectic. Hannah is chatty, neurotic, always hungry and always in love. Things take an unexpected turn when one of the girls conjures magical candy that makes body parts talk, pineapples fly and through which a trip to another galaxy becomes the easiest thing in the world.

A behind the scenes look and edited registration of the groundbreaking theater play 'Going to the dogs' by the Dutch artist Wim T. Schippers. The play was performed by six Alsations (German Shepherds).

When Jesus looks into the eyes of Magdalena, she thinks her fate is to become a nun. Until an angel tells her what God really wants: she must give birth to 13 children each of whom have to be born on the 13th of the month. So Magdalena sets to work.

Two boys with a troubled home situation decide to run away to Berlin.

When Erica Maerlant is shot dead during a secret dance rehearsal at her luxurious villa, the Maerlant household turns out to be a serpent's nest of intrigue where everyone has a motive for the murder.

For twenty-something Willem, January begins with a heavy dose of heartbreak. He is confronted with the question: who am I now, without my ex?

Documentary about a father, who wants to find a lesbian woman, who is willig to marry his homosexual son...

Sam, a grumpy raccoon is stuck sharing a cell with Bob, a sweet but dim manatee. Sam hatches an escape plan. In their chaotic jailbreak Sam’s hardened edges soften as Bob’s loyalty shines. Will they escape? Maybe. But together, they’ve already cracked something bigger: trust.

An international tech entrepreneur with a fondness for architecture asks Rem Koolhaas to build a house on an impossibly small piece of mountainside in Zell am See in Austria. The architect of the celebrated book S,M,L,XL seizes the challenge: how to draw light into a house less than four metres wide that is mostly underground? Photographer and filmmaker Frans Parthesius followed the building process and offers insight into Koolhaas’s way of working and the special relationship with his client.

A Palestinian girl of 17 who wants to get married to the man of her own choosing. Rana wakes up one morning to an ultimatum delivered by her father: she must either choose a husband from a preselected list of men, or she must leave Palestine for Egypt with her father by 4:00 that afternoon.

When Laura was six, her parents got divorced and her father disappeared from her life. The happiness she experienced on her final journey with her father, when he danced with her at a flea market in Brussels, holds a special place in Laura's memory. When Laura finds the shadow puppets her father once bought for her in the attic, these open up a portal to the past for her.

King Olaf of Haland is an albino who lives in a gloomy castle. Abraham Mogèn, an alchemist, wants to aid the king. But on his way to the castle he is murdered by the highwayman Wogram and his servant Onorg. Wogram disguises himself as the alchemist and wins the favor of the king.

In this graduation film and modern interpretation of the famous epic, Odysseus relates how he, after winning the Trojan War, resolutely returns to his home in Ithaca. A story about psychedelic lotus flowers, introverted one-eyed giants, sexy Sirens and queer witches. About sea, wind, and carnivorous drag queens. And about letting go.Based on a Spotify playlist full of pop music by contemporary celebrated artists, including Frank Ocean, Caroline Polachek, Charli XCX, Rosalía, Nicolás Jaar and James Blake.

A modern Marie-Antoinette falls in love with Frédérique, but is obliged to marry King Louis XVI.

Brian, who got stuck in a rut, receives a call during his broadcast that doesn't turn into a pleasant conversation.

D.C. has been abandoned by his girlfriend Nola, wants to go to Hollywood and participates in 'chicken races' out of desperation and lack of money; a perilous event in which one travels a certain distance on the road by car without stopping.