Discoveries from Netherlands World Cinema

More than thirty years ago, Louis van Gasteren made the documentary BEGRIJPT U NU WAAROM IK HUIL? about a therapeutic LSD session that professor Jan Bastiaans did with a traumatised ex-prisoner of German concentration camps. The patient died in late 2000 at the age of 81. He left a wife and three children. Poignant conversations with the widow and youngest son, and excerpts from letters from the other two children reveal that a concentration camp syndrome can also inflict deep wounds in those who have not personally experienced it.

Howard and Selene are two English-speaking foreigners living in Amsterdam who begin a casual affair that turns serious and then starts to deteriorate. It is the second part in Aryan Kaganof's Urban Wasteland Serial.

A diary-style triptych about the struggle against apartheid, filmed secretly in South Africa under dangerous circumstances with the support of the then-underground African National Congress.

Social drama about a plantation owner who sees his world collapse around him. Planter Sjon Jan van Leent's familiar world is changing. His son is a disappointment, his daughter marries an educated black man, his wife dies and the plantation is not doing well. When he hears his son has made off with some money, he has a heart attack. From his sickbed he thinks about his life and finally he and his wayward children are reconciled.

A 1998 Dutch documentary about Klaus Mann, the son of novelist Thomas Mann. An openly bisexual writer who spent World War II in Amsterdam, Klaus suffered from depression, marginalization, and drug addiction; he attempted suicide several times and died in his early 40s, though his famous father was too busy doing a reading for Swedish radio to attend his son’s funeral.

Kyra (9) and her sisters Margot (12) and Janna (5) return to their grandma’s farm for the summer. Kyra looks forward to spending lots of time with her older sister Margot, catching frogs and playing silly games in the mysterious woods, like they always do. But this year turns out to be different. Margot starts distancing herself from her younger sisters, and Kyra soon discovers why: mythical creatures of the mist, called ‘White Wenches’, are luring Margot into the woods to transform her into one of them; a young woman.

The protagonist in the film is an actor (René van het Hof) who is acting his life. He is a nuisance, but only for those who have had enough of his play acting or who are ashamed to be around this clown. His wife breaks up with him because she just can't tolerate the man any more and he seems to accept that in an apparently matter-of-fact way. He leaves the city for a cottage in the countryside.

Like his Swiss half-sister Jasmin, Dutch filmmaker Alex Pitstra is the child of a European mother and a Tunisian playboy father. The majority of their lives their father was absent, but after more than twenty years Alex invites Jasmin to travel to Tunisia with him. They want to reconnect with their Tunisian roots and find out how their father and his family relate to the 'bezness' phenomenon of North-African men roaming beaches and hotels, trying to seduce western women.

Twelve-year-old Ilias’ best friend is murdered by mistake. Searching for the perpetrators, Ilias gets deeper and deeper into the drug world. In the process, he is seduced by money and status. Will he give up his goal or will he remain loyal to his dead friend?

A nasty short with lots of meat.

Documentary about the formation and fall of the Rutte 1 cabinet, which was supported by the PVV. Insiders speak candidly about how the tolerance agreement came about, how the CDA split in two, what went on within the coalition, and how the cabinet's downfall unfolded. Moreover, this documentary gives us the opportunity to look ahead, with the knowledge of the time, to what could soon become reality again after the elections in March.

A talking heads documentary about young asylum seekers in the Netherlands, given space to express themselves through art. From poetry and rap to DJing and photography, it follows Auguste as he observes moments where language barriers are broken through the connections that creativity makes possible. Volunteers and organizers also reflect on what it means to create together, to share fragments of identity, to find recognition, and to make life in the asylum center a little more bearable.

Each year Thomas goes an a pilgrimage but he has more difficulty to complete it, but then he is offered a footbath that appears to contain a miracle drug. Wouldn't this make a huge seller during Expo 58 in Brussels... .

A short film investigating the ideas of Roland Barthes, Jean-Luc Godard and Michael Haneke, in the form of two short lessons.

On a drive back home in a dirty car, three young women talk about other people. Their conversation flows naturally, and takes them into uncharted territory.

A grizzly moves effortlessly through a vast landscape, as others flee from an unseen threat. Meanwhile, a human, driven by his own instincts, navigates the same terrain. Both apex predators dominate the top of the food chain, but their worlds collide when they cross paths.

Stop-motion animation in which sixty-something Harold still lives with his aged mother Hendrina. This is far from snug: the embittered mother puts her passion for vases above the love of her son and is very reproachful. This has made Harold believe he depends on her and is unable to make autonomous decisions. But then he hears another sound coming through the wall: the neighbors' rebellious, recalcitrant adolescent son. In the reticent Harold, this awakens a desire to express himself too. Shortly after, his mother dies. What does this do to Harold?

A film about relationships where expectations are out of joint, especially where both partners have different cultural backgrounds. Set in the Netherlands, 'Burden' gives a contemporary glimpse of the dynamics of two relationships between Eastern European women and Dutch men. The movie explores their respective cultural differences. It explores female friendships and the difficulties of being 'foreign' in your adopted country. Also, how fate puts the friendship of these two women, one from Russia, and one from Ukraine, to the test by outside forces.

The film shows life in contemporary Sarajevo as reflected through glass covers of the black-and-white photos of its defenders, taken by the Bosnian photographer Milomir Kovacevic in 1992 during the siege of the city.

The point of departure for this film is the 1981 composition De Tijd by Dutch composer Louis Andriessen. Van der Keuken leaves the music undisturbed as an autonomous soundtrack and has the images engage in a sort of battle with it. These images are associations, fragments of events, scenes and situations. The film is preceded by a text by Bert Schierbeek.

Animated short by actress Sylvia Kristel about the art scene in Paris during the start of her French career playing Emmanuelle. She reminisces about Roland Topor, who taught her to paint, Hugo Claus, W.F. Hermans and others, while their respective work comes to life in animation.

This comedy/theatre show is the sequel to 'Micha Wertheim: Somewhere Else'. This second show starts exactly where the first show ended: in the same theatrical scenery, with the same robot. But this time Wertheim surprises his audience by showing up. He tells about how the first experimental comedy show was received and contemplates about the magic of theatre and art in a society about the right to exist of art in a society that allows less and less doubt and confusion. When Robot falls into a depression, the boundaries between theater and reality begin to blur.

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.

The Dutch Oudejaarsconference 2010 with Erik van Muiswinkel, Sanne Wallis de Vries, Niels van der Laan, Jeroen Woe, Thomas van Luyn, Mike Boddé and Ronald Goedemondt.

How reliable are memories? Liefje explores the boundary between reality and fantasy. In a therapeutic session, the 18-year-old Esther reconstructs the murder of her father that she committed with her boyfriend Erik. Flashbacks reveal the facts of the matter. The schoolgirl grows up between quarrelling parents, opposes her mother's uninhibited sexual education and despises her father Robert after he has fathered a twin with his new wife, who is much younger. She tells Erik about a vague memory of her father, allegedly abusing her sexually. Notwithstanding the difference between the gaps in Esther's memory and the facts, the outraged Erik offers her to be her avenger.

An hour before the five best Dutch dance crews fly to a contest in New York, the subsidized trip is cancelled. Five dancers from totally different crews don't want to give up their free plane ticket and go anyway. In New York they realize what they've done. They have no money, no plan and no crew. But... They came to dance so there is only one thing to do. Together they form a new crew and do everything they can to enter the contest they came for. In the mean time... they have to survive two weeks in New York without any cash. Written by Tijs van Marle

One summer morning Sven experiences something odd--cold shower, no lights and a leaky fridge. Also, no power and Sven has invited his friends over to watch a soccer match. Sven decides to look for alternative solutions himself.

Twelve-year-old Koen's day, and with it his childhood, comes undone when he waits in vain one Saturday morning for his parents to take him to ice hockey practice. He wanders through the strangely empty house in his full hockey gear, bored. In order to kill time he jumps on his parents' bed and tries to scare his distraught older sister. Something seems to be amiss, but the precocious boy can't fathom what.

Mike is the type of person 'what does not have to be done today, can be done tomorrow' and therefore has already lost many of his friends, girlfriend and family. When he is called by his father with the news that his mother is dying, he seems to realize the big mess he made of his own life. Mike makes the choice to pick up where it all went wrong, but isn't it too late for that?

Throughout the country there is only one child who never puts her shoe: Floor. If she wants something, she just asks her rich father, the baron. Until Floor wants a pool full of chocolate items one day.

In 2002, a woman from the Pakistani countryside named Mukhtar Mai made world headlines. After the rumour that her 12-year-old brother was having a relationship with a woman from another clan, Mukhtar was gang-raped by order of the village council. Instead of committing suicide, she spoke out and the six men were sentenced to death, although five of them were eventually acquitted. Against all the codes of her society, Mukhtar took her case to the Supreme Court. After the Rape doesn't comment on the outcome of her case. What the film does show is the environment that the assertive Muhktar managed to create in the wake of the incident.

Stages is a film about loneliness, anxiety, struggle and love, which in an unconventional way shows the survival of two former lovers in their forties and their seventeen year-old son.

Frans Bromet goes in search of his family history and discovers that Hermanus Bromet was a well-known slave trader in Suriname. Should he feel guilty for what his ancestor did? How do you deal with a burdened family past?

See the earth through the eyes of an astronaut. André Kuipers takes you on a magical film experience. He shows us the breathtaking beauty of our planet from space. This captivating film experience combines beautiful images with the timeless music of Oscar winner Vangelis and a special contribution by Armin van Buuren. The result is an ode to our planet and that is best appreciated on the big screen!

At the invitation of the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, the Dutch conductor Jules Coulée returns to the Netherlands to conduct a one-off performance of Third Symphony by Gustav Mahler. Coulée is unpleasantly surprised when he sees that the Concertgebouw is under construction and that the renovations continue during rehearsals. In addition, the acoustics of the hall are terribly bad and the balcony too close, so that the post horn solo in the third movement cannot possibly come from afar, as the score prescribes. For Coulée, the entire implementation stands or falls with this detail.

Theatre adaptation of Jan Wolkers' novel of the same name from 1969 about an artist, Erik, and a young woman, Olga, who together have a turbulent relationship in Amsterdam.

For more than 100 years, Dik Trom has captured the imagination with his mischief. Together with his friends Piet van Dril and Jan Vos, it is mainly constable Flipsen who has to suffer. But the strict teacher is also a grateful subject for his typically Dutch pranks. And for some reason, Dik always gets away with it. Like the time Dik and his friends drove Flipsen crazy by constantly tapping on his window. During the chase, Flipsen catches one of the rascals. But not Dik...no, the beating goes to Dik's biggest tormentor, Bruin Boon. Still, Dik Trom proves he has a heart of gold. Because when he follows Aunt Kee, who is considered a witch by the whole village, to her cottage and discovers what is troubling her, he shows why he is such a special boy. And he is!

Stage registration of the first musical comedy special by the Dutch songwriter and comedian Kiki Schippers. Schippers sings and tells about love and death.

Bassie & Adriaan go in search of a package in Germany, which Bassie likes because he fancies a trip along the Rhine. But Bassie doesn't realize that Handy Harry has built a transmitter into his Walkman and that the crooks can now follow him on a special screen. The crooks also see that Bassie & Adriaan are traveling to Greece. There, they have to track down a package with the help of a sailboat. This allows them to see a lot of Greece, but they don't know that there is a diver under their boat, which could be very dangerous!

An untamed explosion of sex and blood as a means of power in the relationship between man and woman, man and man.

When Elsa, after a somewhat remarkable application, is hired by a high class zoophilia phone sex company, she can start working straight away. After a short introduction a problem arises. Elsa's team is unable to meet a caller's unusual request and sales are rapidly declining. After hours of practice, Elsa thinks she has the solution.

A film about a man who is trying to find the landscapes of his youth. A journey which begins in the structural environments of civilization and ends in the dynamic and sometimes treacherous environments of nature.

Han and his friends are training to stop Irado’s villains. While Guido thinks something is blossoming between him and Hollie, the love between Gert and Hanna has hit rock bottom. A conversation between Claudia, Hanna, and their mother completely spirals out of control. Could this be the moment the sisters finally reconnect? Ophelia makes a big decision, but her father doesn’t react the way she hoped. Claudia and Gert grow closer. The night of the deal - and the confrontation between two generations - is about to begin…

Registration of the ninth theatre program by the Dutch comedian Richard Groenendijk.

Clumsy seagull Manfred enjoys his humble work as a cleaner at the Air Force base. But when he accidentally kills a member of the seagull troops, Manfred is forced to take his place. Unwillingly Manfred embarks on a highly dangerous mission, that he is not prepared for...

André is back home in Maastricht! He is returning to the Vrijthof Square for a traditional summer evening concert in his home town. Enjoy the unique performances by André’s soloists Carmen, Carla and Mirusia and the Platinum Tenors. Party with the crowd as special guest Heino performs. And as if that were not enough, you’ll definitely be getting goose pimples when you hear the spectacular, unforgettable playing of no less than 450 brass players