HIGHLIGHTS OF THE LOWLANDS 3 – TOURING DUTCH CINEMA

WATER

‘Water’, the natural element that is so explicitly tied to the landscape, history, art and national character of Holland, with its many fishing villages, ports, dikes and delta’s, is the main theme of this edition of Highlights of the Lowlands. The Dutch connection to water is somewhat ambivalent, a love and hate relationship of sorts, signified by the everlasting battle against the dangerously rising sea levels, but also the prosperity thanks to fishing, navigation and recreational activities like sailing or famous, all country ice-skating.  Water, the unpredictable element that pounds the national character and moulds it into a spirit with an unyielding pride, to save land against all odds and even create new. The Delta Project following the disastrous floods of 1953, which stands as an example of Dutch stamina and resourcefulness, harvested high esteem around the world.

Water features in our very intriguing selection of fiction and documentary films, even animation, by Dutch directors, films that stick out as thrilling and dramatic stories with various specific styles. Some are modern and unattached, with vast and silent panorama’s leaving space for contemplation, others are made with passionate visual poetry. We bring you a selection of  compelling, high quality cinema of the Netherlands that at the same time represents the Dutch soul and national character.

Rada Sesic - programmer

FILM PROGRAMME
All titles are screened in original language and are subtitled in English and Albanian

Monday, 19 September     19:00h "Cat and Mice" short fiction Length: 9’ Year: 2010 Director: Nova van Dijk,  Production: Keren Cogan Productions, Phanta Vision Film International Synopsis: Jonas makes a living by kidnapping cats and returning them for the reward money.
"Wistful wilderness" documentary Duration: 88’ Year: 2010 Director: Digna Sinke Production: SNG Film Synopsis: The island Tiengemeten was once reclaimed from the sea, intended for agriculture. In the 1990s a decision was made to set-aside land allowing nature to run its course. Digna Sinke followed the changes in the landscape over a period of 13 years, also recollecting the changes in her own life.
Tuesday,  20 September     19:00h    "DirkJan rules!" short animation Duration: 2’ Year: 2010 Director: Remco Polman and Wilfred Ottenheijm, Production: Mooves and Jantiene de Kroon Synopsis: Dutch cartoon character Dirkjan is a born loser. But now he becomes world leader.
"The Hell of ’63"  Special guest: Steven de Jong  fiction Duration: 108’ Year: 2009 Director: Steven de Jong  Production: Steven de Jong Prods, Bridge Entertainment production. Cast: Willeke van Ammelrooy, Pierre Bokma, Chantal Janzen… Synopsis: When conditions are right an infamous ice-skating race is held in the north of the Netherlands. The 200 km race must be completed by midnight and everyone who finishes receives a medal. This film is based on the true facts of the fateful day in 1963 when, due to plunging temperatures and rough terrain,thousands of skaters suffered frostbite and shocking injuries. Only a small number would cross the finish-line, but for those who did, it was to be a life changing event!
Wednesday,  21 September     19:00h    “And the sea was no more” short Duration: 24’ Year: 1956 Director: Bert Haanstra production: Bert Haanstra Synopsis: In 1932 when the Dutch started building the dike so called Afsluitdijk, the sea cost Zuiderzee has turned into Lake Ijsselmeer. In mid fifties the polders were built one after another. The fishermen villages like Bunschoten, Spakenburg, Harderwijk, Volendam and Edam including their rich culture and tradition were deeply affected by these changes. They were witnessing the end of their way of living.
“Before the Flood” fiction-documentary Duration: 58’ Year: 2006 Director: Jos de Putter Production: Petra Goedings, Wink de Putter Synopsis: This documentary by Jos Putter is a “future documentary”, partly situated in the Netherlands year 2070 when it looks like that biggest part of the country will be under the water. The director approaches people that are dealing with climate changes and water management in order to find out in which direction the things are going on. Film is a compilation of drama and realism, history and future, science and religion, film history and special effects.
Thursday,  22 September     19:00h    "Horseplay" short experimental Duration: 12’ Year: 2010 Director: Ruth Meyer Production: Ruth Meyer & Carmen Cobos. Cast: Michael Schumacher, Ederson Rodriques Xavier Synopsis: Two dancers and two Frisian horses engage in a “Dance” hat reveals different stages in the development of a unique friendship. The encounter creates a portrait of both pairs reflecting in movement the experience of developing a friendship from the first meeting until separation.
"De Storm" fiction Duration: 100’ Year: 2009 Director: Ben Sombogaart Production: Nijenhuis & de Levita Film &TV BV Cast: Sylvia Hoeks, Barry Atsma, Dirk Roofthooft… Synopsis: The story of The Storm is set during the gravest natural disaster in modern Dutch history when the south western dykes succumbed to wind and water in 1953, resulting in the flooding of large parts of the provinces of Zeeland, Zuid-Holland and Noord Brabant, destroying entire villages and killing thousands. The Storm is the first ever feature film to deal with this national trauma. In the film young mother Julia barely survives the flooding of her family’s farm but gets swept away from her baby by the currents. When she is saved by an army lieutenant, her rescuer and she return to the disaster area, counter to the massive evacuation, determined to find her child.