Discoveries from Netherlands World Cinema

(Vergeef me) - Forgive me is the film adaptation of Cyrus Frisch his controversional play "Jesus/Lover", which was performed by hard-drug addicts and alcoholics. This film with Frisch as Jesus disguised as Jerry Springer is not light on the stomach. But those who can take it will get to know some extraordinary people... Frisch first plays with the actors by openly exceeding the borders of the acceptable the idealistic filmmaker hopes the stream of violence and misery on television will finally come to an end. The praise he gained after the first screening of these brutal scenes with the social outcasts he filmed made him outrageous. The director sells himself to the devil and goes even further in the abuse of his protagonists. How long can the viewer stay a passive accomplice?

For the first time in his life timid Anton, an eleven-year-old pubescent, falls madly in love with one of his classmates, precocious Rita Koeling. But Anton shrinks from openly telling his tough friends about his romantic feelings.

Reconstruction of the political drama around Ayaan Hirsi Ali that heralded the fall of the Dutch cabinet. A musical documentary on a subject close to all Dutch people: truth and lies in politics. The film exposes the motives surrounding the drama in which feminist activist and politician Ayaan Hirsi Ali was accused of lying about her identity. In this political story we are also told the personal tale of the young girl Sadaf, who sought asylum years ago. THE LIE demonstrates the human side of Dutch politics, while revealing how Holland deals with the thorny immigration issue.

A reportage about the tea company of the NILS (the Netherlands Indies Agricultural Syndicate) called Permanangan, on the east coast of Sumatra.

De Cock and Vledder investigate the robbery of an armored truck which leads to several murders.

An ageing GP tries to convince his son in law to take over his practice. Monique van de Ven plays the doctor's daughter, who is torn apart by love of her husband and solidarity with her father.

When a cab driver reluctantly has to pick up his last customer of that night in a deprived neighbourhood in Rotterdam, it turns out to be a lady that gives this last ride an unforgettable twist.

Kim and Bob have been inseparable since childhood. Does puberty end their friendship?

A young woman, with her naive lies, causes some troubles marrying into an aristocratic family. At the end, good-heartedness wins over snobbishness and class barriers.

A poetic depiction of life and ritual in the south Indian state of Kerala. We see how knowledge is passed down from generation to generation: within the family, through the village economy, and especially from teachers to students. Performance footage shows how song, dance, martial arts, and religion constitute the building blocks of a culture.

Reconnecting in the 1990s years after being school bandmates, two budding musicians struggle to balance success and happiness when they form a Eurodance act that skyrockets them to fame and fortune.

In 1970, during the annual Dutch national commemoration of those fallen in World War II, two men try to make a statement against gay discrimination. In the moments before and after the incident, their doubt, fear and firm belief becomes clear.

Window cleaner Dennis falls from the 40th floor of a high rise. He is in luck: He gets stuck outside the 33th floor, hanging helplessly outside the window of Debbie, who is getting ready for a date. Because of the soundproof glass the conversation is awkward and difficult. The clumsy situations build and build in this bizarre comedy, filled with miscommunication.

A worried father tries to end the relationship that his son Andries has with the wife of a wrestler.

"What are we actually doing here?" Miel asks Jack Van Poll, the pianist. "Earning a living, I suppose?" is the laconic reply. But Miel wants more out of life than playing in a jazz band, away from the worries of his wife and child who constantly need money from him. Between dream and deed... but then he is suddenly confronted with harsh reality.

Twelve-year-old Wim has feelings of guilt about his father's death, which cause him to get emotionally confused. Eventually, Wim loses control completely.

A writer who struggles with his current relationship. His desire's can't be satisfied and he searches for answers while writing his next screenplay. After a while he realizes that the character he spends so much time with might be closer to his heart than he thaught.

The city from the unique perspective of the many wild animals and plants that inhabit it. Seen through the eyes of the adventurous urban cat, Abatutu.

On the eve of Russia's war against Ukraine, a Russian journalist from a pro-Kremlin TV channel brings her rebellious and Westernized teenage daughter on a journey through Putin’s Russia to make her more "Russian".

In the slums of Manila, 11-year-old Ginto dreams of gang life over scavenging, rejecting his sister Asia’s care as she turns to sex work to survive. As Ginto falls for another boy in the gang, he’s forced to confront his identity and desires amid violence and poverty. Meanwhile, Dutch tourist Michael, consumed by dark impulses, descends into the city’s red-light district. When their paths cross, Ginto faces an impossible choice that will shape both their fates in a world where innocence is currency and survival comes at a cost.

In the 17th century, in a little town called Toth, people are mysteriously disappearing and rumor has it that a werewolf is wandering the streets.

Old entertainer gets a last chance to play a serious role.

A Hollywood producer tries to grab the role of a lifetime.

In the prologue, a boat with some shipwrecked persons is drifting at sea. Among them is Baron van Waldheim, who, before he dies of exhaustion, entrusts his little son Alfred to the care of his butler Hendrik. The evil Jan van Oort persuades Hendrik to give him the Baron's papers. When they put the boy ashore, he wounds himself on a nail (leaving a scar that will later prove his identity). For years Van Oort manages to pass himself off as Baron van Waldheim; he is married and has a daughter and a son. One day Hendrik turns up demanding a job as butler, swearing that otherwise he will betray Van Oort's secret. Meanwhile, Alfred - now an adult known as Ulbo Garvema - has become a teacher. Unaware of who Van Oort really is, he accepts the position of tutor to Van Oort's children. He falls in love with the daughter, but Van Oort refuses to give his consent to their marriage. Ulbo and the girl elope.

Haron is asked to infiltrate in a group of terrorists who are suspected to be working on a strike.

A short-action-art film depicting a story of biblical proportions where the suppressed (a collection of societal minorities) overthrow the juxtaposed devil, also known as the western-centric patriarchy as represented by the suppressor (the Straight White Man), by murdering him in cold blood. Papiamentu narration.

A 7-year old girl is taken to school by her mother. Today is the day that the young girl will go on a school trip with her class. In everything we feel that bringing her daughter to school isn’t a very ordinary occasion for the mother.

Living out his days in a nursing home, a secret is unearthed from the dark past of charismatic Salvatore Luciano.

5:04 am. A woman lies awake because the neighbors are quarreling. Her husband doesn't care. Finally she makes a phone call. An expression of horror registers on her face.

Joz, a young police officer in Rotterdam, is assigned by his boss Lisa to investigate the murder of a prostitute named Maria. During his investigation, he meets Carmen. He falls so deeply in love with her that he breaks up with his fiancée Maryam. However, Carmen is indifferent to this, as she does not want to commit herself. Joz's work also suffers as a result, and he is suspended, with Simon taking over the case. Nevertheless, Joz continues his investigation. He discovers that Carmen's brother Steve, who has been arrested, is innocent, and frees him. Out of jealousy, he attacks Carmen. Carmen's friends arrange for Joz and Steve to flee abroad. Ultimately, it turns out that Lisa committed the murder because her husband Koen (Kurt Rogiers) had been a client of Maria's. She shoots Joz.

Documentary about the phenomenon of fascism. Filmmaker Emerson Vermaat views secularization as a major cause of the rise of fascist systems. National Socialism, Communism, racism, and the influence of the church are discussed. In the Netherlands, politician Hans Janmaat (between 1982 and 1998) represents the racist aspect of fascism, while in America, it is the Ku Klux Klan. Featuring numerous interviews and archival material.

Television registration of the first solo program by the Dutch singer and comedian Jenny Arean. Recorded in het Nieuwe de la Mar Theater in Amsterdam.

This is a reflection of & on class consciousness

AMBIENT TRIP COMMANDER is the story of Samantha Tapferstern, a geeky young woman who lives a rather dull life in a medium-sized European city. She works a mundane job at a synthesizer store and spends her lonely evenings playing RPG games. One day she receives a cryptic email from a hacker group inviting her to Lonetal, a village secluded somewhere deep in the European Alps. As we follow her journey to Lonetal, things become more sinister and a grand mystery starts to unfold…

Two activists and lovers meet a thrillseeking anarchist who wants to help them in their missions to improve the world. Unsure about the what and how, they start to doubt whether they can even make a difference at all - until their new friend proposes a radical plan. A short film about climate change and our inability to do 'the right thing' for the world at all times.

A filmed essay about the painter Bouts.

An unlikely romance blossoms between an introspective, illiterate baker and a woman he met through dating ads.

Faces pass by in quickly edited, split-screen recordings. A 'structuralist' film in which the film material itself plays an important role. Grain, scratches and flickering give the film texture. The music is by Steve Reich.

Christmas Eve. Finally, a few days off after the busiest time of the year. For a while, everything revolves around cozy gatherings by the Christmas tree, enjoying a lavish Christmas dinner, unwrapping presents, and eating Christmas cookies. But not for everyone; for the emergency room staff, work never stops. The hospital doesn't have a pause button to relax. On Christmas Eve, the night shift has only just begun for Lily, Ben, Yannick, and Shanti. Even though they're certainly not there for fun, the world outside the hospital walls has little to offer. They've all fled Christmas Eve. To prevent worse from happening.

In a drought-struck region in India, suffering from climate change and a high suicide rate amongst farmers, a group of resilient women farmers, who recently lost their husbands, is coming together with a local psychologist to learn counselling and help others in grief.

Felix never has any luck with relationships. To prove things he announces his engagement to model Donna, whom he only knows of a picture. After a relationship with Esther strands, he meets the mother of Donna by coincidence.

Celebration of the Relief of Leiden on October 3rd with parades, street performers, a fair, and music. Herring with white bread is for sale at many stalls. Authorities watch the parades on the streets and on the water. Music band playing. Students applaud along the parade route for their society Minerva, for the floats. Operators film the festivities. Film posters. Overview of the fair.

Overwhelmed by her father’s sudden disability, Esra becomes entangled in a web of lies. Only once the emotions smouldering inside the nine-year-old finally rush to the surface, can she begin coming to terms with her new reality.

Jeanet, an insecure middle-aged woman, discovers one day that rabbit ears are growing out of her head. Shocked and confused, she rushes to the doctor to get rid of her ailment. But the doctor turns out to be a poor listener. Jeanets relatives seem to have attention for her. Jeanet thinks she is on her own until she knocks on her husband's door.

Two years after making his film BLIND KIND, Van der Keuken contacted the blind boy that had impressed him most at the time.

On his way to yet another tour of duty abroad, thirty-year-old Max gets caught up in a game with the young boys next door. Max gradually loses sight of reality, and the boys lose their innocence.

Of the eight billion humans populating Earth, how can we conceive of ourselves as unique while simultaneously belonging to the grand and kaleidoscopic primordial soup? Meandering scenes, ranging from playful and natural to industrial and menacing, coalesce with a sound design by the legendary Spinvis to create this poetic and hypnotic virtual reality exploration of our place in the world. For fans, the live experimental musical accompaniment is not to be missed.

The young Sem wants to go to Iceland and the place where is late father left his mark. Together with his best friend Mo, he sets up a crew for the expedition. But is everyone just as determent as Sem to reach Iceland?

A successful but dejected ventriloquist decides to break with his bold-as-brass, out-of-control dummy — only to find going his own way easier said than done.

The young Isabelle escapes from the orphanage and she adopted by two chaps on a caravan. They then meet by chance the posh family of Louise- who runs away with the three adventurers when confronted with the reality of having to marry a Belgian with a large moustache and a bald head. They find a dog. Later Louisa degenerates into a minor moment of sexual hedonism and multiplexing with the two chaps before they are all overwhelmed by the Armageddon that was WWI.

Theo Staats arrives at his uncle's rubber plantation in 'Our' Indies, The Emerald Belt. He meets Ems, the beautiful singer of the club, and falls head over heels for her. Ems, who comes from a poor Indonesian-European family, does not want to betray her Dutch husband, to whom she owes her status, but she cannot suppress her feelings. The Emerald Belt follows their passionate affair for ten years: from 1939, when the Dutch are carefree and enjoying their colonial power; through the Japanese invasion in 1942 and the difficult war years that will separate the lovers; to the struggle that led to Indonesian independence in 1949, when they are faced with a new choice.

Compilation film consisting of material from various artists who are involved in body art

In the heyday of the jute industry, millions of people in Bengal made their living doing this laborious work, which has hardly changed since the industrial revolution. The 100-year-old machinery has been endlessly repaired. State aid kept this sustainable alternative to plastic going, but its future looks bleak.

When Youtuber Gio's parents go on holiday, a party in their brand new home gets completely out of control and half the house burns down. Gio has two weeks to repair the house while he continues to upload videos as if nothing is wrong.

The story of a young woman with mental problems told in a non-chronological fashion.