Competitionfilms a-z

New (Nieuw)

D: Eefje Blankevoort, CI: Ton Peters, ED: Tim Roza
NED 2014, OwE, 19‘, INT PR

 

“If you love the Netherlands, say hallelujah!” says the singer on the coach. Singing and clapping the African refugees travel to their new lives. Wide-eyed, eight-year-old Tanans tries to understand what he sees: dogs on long leads, garden hoses with “pistols” stuck into the end, and nothing but white people, who he always thought were just painted that way. He explores his new home in a Dutch residential neighbourhood. A girl invites him to her house. She begins to understand why he fled when she asks him about his parents. They’re dead. “Don’t cry”, he says comfortingly, “that’s not good!”

Eefje Blankevoort studied history at the University of Amsterdam. In Iran she put together an archive for the International Institute for Social History. With Arnold van Bruggen she founded the production company Prospektor. She works as a writer and journalist, and also directs and edits films.

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