From September 18th -23rd
Marubi Multimedia and Film Academy
by Rada Sesic – programmer
What do we know about Dutch cinema? Not much, I am afraid, especially cinema goers on the Balkans. Those who followed the world cinema scene during the 70ties and 80ties had very few chances to see variety of the Dutch films. Most of us were familiar only with some films by the most known Dutch director Paul Vehoeven whose American films (Basic Instinct, Robo Cop, Showgirls, Starship Troopers) we actually remember, not his Dutch works although his Soldaat van Oranje (Soldier of Orange, 1977) has been chosen as the Best Dutch film ever. The second person that was known from the Dutch cinema scene is charming actress Silvia Kristel. The rest, for most of us, was a black spot. Cinema goers on the Balkans even today don’t have much chances to broaden their knowledge on the cinema of The Netherlands, country with 16,5 million people, country with the annual harvest of 16‐20 fiction feature films and dozens of excellent documentaries and shorts. It might seem to some that The Dutch don’t have something to be proud of in cinema but the truth is quite different. Let’s just see the statistics. After the Oscar (1959) for the documentary maker Bert Hanstra, who entered all world film encyclopedias with his famous film Glas, in 1987 fruitful fiction film director Fons Rademakers won an Oscar for the anthological war movie DE AANSLAG that also got a Golden Globe. Two years before this, Dutch producer Cilia van Dijk got another Oscar for production of an animation‐ film Ana and Bella. An amazing news and joy was in the 90ties when Dutch got Oscars in a short span of time‐ in 1996 for feature film ANTONIA directed by Marleen Gorris and two years later for KARAKTER directed by Mike van Diem. These films maybe some of the spectators in bigger cities had a chance to see at some special screenings but newer production is probably completely unknown. Amazingly, the production is very rich and remarkable. Several films that we are bringing in our programme have won prizes at European festivals like Berlin , Locarno , Rotterdam , Venice , even in Cannes. What is very intriguing for me as a curator is to bring to people the spirit of the country through cinema. In our programme, we will bring several very intriguing fiction films, documentaries and shorts that could be considered
at typical; Dutch‐ from the most obvious such as barren landscape or colorful Amsterdam to sober, minimalist dialogues and drama with inner suspense. The films are very communicative, posing questions to all of us, making us think and rethink our deeds. At the same time, they are funny, entertaining and uplifting.
September 18th at 19.00 hrs
POLISH BRIDE
Length: 86′
Genre: Romantic/Drama
Year: 1999
Director: Karim Tra३a
Script: Kees van der Hulst
Production: Ijswater film & television
Casting: Jaap Spijkers, Monic Hendrickx, Rudi Falkenhagen, Roef Ragas, Hakim Traidia
Synopsis: Although directed by the film maker of Algerian origin Karim Traidia, this film is considered as profoundly Dutch. Sensible and tough, silent but eloquent, the story unfolds around mysterious Polish girl Anna who ends up after being trashed by her pimp or client at a remote typical Dutch farm. Minimalist in style, the film is full of wonderful suspense that builds around two people who are becoming closer day by day. The film won the main audience award at Rotterdam festivals as well as the award at Cannes FF and several prizes at home. It is one of the best sold films of The Netherlands, screened at 50 countries.
NOTEBOOK
Length: 4′
Year: 2008
Director: Evelien Lohbeck
Production: Evelien Lohbeck
Synopsis: Expectations are challenged in this short experimental film which plays with illusions and reality.
September 19th at 19.00 hrs
DUSKA
Length: 112′
Genre: Drama
Year: 2007
Director: Jos Stelling
Script: Jos Stelling, Hans Heesen
Production: Eyeworks Egmond
Casting: Sylvia Hoeks, Sergei Makovetsky, Gene Bervoets e.a
Synopsis: On your journey when traveling with other people, sometimes you say to someone “…… if you are in the neighborhood, you must pop in”. But what if some stranger takes the invitation for granted and at once he stands in front of the door. Bob a Dutchmen, in his forties, at one of Film festivals in Russia has given his business card to a Russian (Duska) thinking that he is never going to see him again. But one day Duska stands really in front of the Bob’s door. What now? Bob takes him in but after some time realizes that Duska is never going to leave his home. A young lady who works at box office of cinema is Bob’s inspiration. But nothing really happens, until Duska, a man of few words, finally finds his way to leave.
THE PHANTOM OF THE CINEMA
Length: 11′
Year: 2008
Director: Erik van Schaaik
Production: il Luster Productions
Synopsis: Animated short. The hectic life behind the screen in a film theatre becomes visible for the audience when ‘the phantom of cinema’ breaks.
September 20th at 19.00 hrs
BLACK BOOK
Length: 145′
Genre: Drama Tiller
Year: 2006
Director: Paul Verhoeven
Script: Gerard Soeteman and Paul Verhoeven
Production: A Film, FU workers, Hector films
Cast: Carice van Houten, Sebastian Koch, Thom Hoffman, Halina Reijn, Waldemar Kobus, Derek de Lint, Christian Berkel, Dolf de Vries, Peter Blok, Michiel Huisman, Ronald Armbrust, Frank Lammers, Matthias Schoenaerts, Johnny de Mol, Xander Straat.
Synopsis: To fight the enemy, she must become one of them. In the Nazi‐occupied Netherlands during World War II, a Jewish singer infiltrates the regional Gestapo headquarters for the Dutch resistance. The film got prizes as the best film, best director and the main actress at the festival in The Netherlands and it was selected for prestigious international film festivals like Venice, Toronto.
WHIPLASHED
Length: 5′
Year: 2008
Director: Arnoud Rijken
Production: il Luster Productions
Synopsis: Animated short. When a man wakes up behind the wheel of his crashed car he discovers that he has lost his memory. Is he guilty of the death of the woman next to him?
September 21st at 19.00 hrs
CARMEN MEETS BORAT
Length: 85′
Genre: Documentary
Year: 2008
Director: Mercedes Stalenhoef
Synopsis: Funny, somewhat hilarious movie shot in the Romanian village Glod where Sasha Baron Cohen shot Borat. What the villagers think about the movie, how they see themselves, how they experienced Borat ? Some are ready to go to the big World and sue Borat and 20 Century Fox asking for millions of dollars damage. Would they succeed? The film won Grand Prix at Message to Man film festival in Russia.
SAND
Length: 20′
Year: 2008
Director: Joost van Ginkel
Production: Helen Zwaan and Joost van Ginkel
Synopsis: Luuk seems to be a good father for his daughter Isabel. But is this the truth? This is a compelling and romantic story about a truck driver and his daughter who both like the feel of sand.
September 22nd at 19.00 hrs
SKIN
Length: 85′
Genre: Drama
Year: 2008
Director: Hanro Smitsman
Script: Hanro Smitsman, Philip Delmaar
Casting: John Buijsman, Guus Dam, Robert de Hoog, Maurits, Delchot, Juda Goslinga, Jason Gwen, Dajo Hogeweg, Bart Klever
Synopsis: Strong family drama of a Dutch teenager Frankie, a Jewish boy who turns to be a skinhead’s follower. The father Simon, who has survived Auschwitz, doesn’t manage to find a proper way to deal with his own trauma neither with his own family. Simon does not talk about that, but rather keeps his family in tension. The mother dies of cancer, the alienated seventeen old son, tries to compensate his own frustrations and pain handing out with friends, smoking joints and going out to look for girls. One day, he turns to aggressive skinheads group betraying his best friend. This is a powerful drama on growing up and youth dilemmas of a very normal Rotterdam boy who turns into a skinhead.
JOURNEY THROUGH THE NIGHT
Length: 10′
Year: 2003
Director: Joram ten Brink
Script by: Jakov Lind (short story) and Joram ten Brink (writer)
Synopsis: A man is traveling on a long haul express train journey from Amsterdam to Paris. He shares his sleeper compartment with another man who he engages in conversation. He learns that the man is a cannibal who intends to kill and eat him. The man is unsure of where his life is going and begins to be swayed by the cannibal’s assertions that being eaten would give his life meaning and purpose.
September 23rd at 19.00 hrs
SIMON
Length: 100′
Genre: Comedy/ Drama
Year: 2004
Director: Eddy Terstall
Script: Eddy Terstall
Production: Spaghetti bv
Casting: Cees Geel, Marcel Hensema, Rifka Lodeizen, Dirk Zeelenberg, Nadja H
