Skip to content

Film Academy 2015: The commercial, the ecstasy, the key maker and the sex doll

 

On Monday, the 2015 batch of the Film Academy the graduation work that will remain on the Keep an Eye Festival at EYE. Academy director Bart Römer expressed optimism about the economic opportunities for Dutch film. He sees a less bleak wind blowing for film in The Hague (stimulus of 20 million a year) and referred to the good Dutch market share (20%) in cinema and the increasing demand for high-quality television drama.

Then up-and-coming talent could show their worth. Honestly, I have seen more exciting graduation years. Someone who could immediately join, say, Morgan Knibbe or Sam de Jong - both recently with sensational cinema debuts - I wouldn't dare point out yet.

The Bright Life of Oleg

In any case, it is telling that some of the results of the commercial assignment - a side programme that usually generates little substance - grabbed me more this year than most other graduation papers. Here we find emotion and engagement. When the lecturers were considering the theme at the beginning of the year, the attack on Charlie Hebdo had just taken place. This made further puzzling unnecessary. The spots now shown are about freedom of speech as a human right, compliments of Amnesty International.

The award for the best promotional film went to 'The Bright Life of Oleg', which calls attention to the fact that Russian-raised filmmaker Oleg Sentsov still has 20 years hanging over his head. Deadpan, surprising, moving and shockingly touching. Perhaps not coincidentally, the director of this puffy miniature, Hetty de Kruijf, also has the Topkapi Fiction Prize-winning 'Nachtoord' to her name.

Tarikat

In the main programme of graduation films, the best work was among the documentaries - this year all by female filmmakers. A poetic impression of the ecstasy of practitioners of mystical Sufi rituals even won a double award. Directed by Jasmijn Schrofer, this 'Tarikat' (The Path), directed by Jasmijn Schrofer, is perhaps a bit droll, and more intuitive than informative, but meticulous, formal and lovingly made. Good enough for the VPRO Documentary Prize and the KNF Prize of the Dutch film press.

Nightlife
From: Nightlife

Nightlife

In the fiction department, many makers this year sought it in absurdist tales, with or without the requisite bizarre or black humour. Promising in concept sometimes, but just as often half-heartedly developed. More form than substance. The energetic mindfulness satire 'Jack' still holds its own thanks to the furious efforts of leading actor Gijs Scholten van Aschat.

But understandably, the Topkapi jury also chose the most austere work of fiction. In Hetty de Kruijf's 'Nachtoord', shot in black and white, we follow a young key maker in who tries to keep the flame of his imagination burning in a sad environment anyway. Occasionally he makes an extra copy of a key, but not to do what you might think.

From: My silicone love
From: My Silicone Love

My Silicone Love

But why make up bizarre stories when they are up for grabs? Whereas the absurdism in the fiction films shown is mostly non-committal, in the documentary 'My Silicone Love' it turns out to work just that. Because it is real. Are you familiar with the feature films 'Air Doll' or 'Lars and the Real Girl', about men who have a relationship with a sex doll? And did you wonder if such a thing really exists? 'My Silicone Love' by Sophie Dros provides the answer.

It is the portrait of a British fifty-something who has 13 lifelike silicone dolls. Women he dresses up, has photo shoots and conversations with and plays roles in all sorts of fantasy worlds. Yes, and who also give him sex and tenderness. Is he happy enough with that?

It is a subject where it is easy to slip up. Dros has warded off that danger with a steady hand, plenty of empathy and, where necessary, a sense of humour. A relatively traditionally executed, yet surprising docu that is also award-worthy as far as I'm concerned.

Leo Bankersen

Leo Bankersen has been writing about film since Chinatown and Night of the Living Dead. Reviewed as a freelance film journalist for the GPD for a long time. Is now, among other things, one of the regular contributors to De Filmkrant. Likes to break a lance for children's films, documentaries and films from non-Western countries. Other specialities: digital issues and film education.View Author posts

Small Membership
175€ / 12 Months
Especially for organisations with a turnover or grant of less than 250,000 per year.
No annoying banners
A premium newsletter
5 trial newsletter subscriptions
All our podcasts
Have your say on our policies
Insight into finances
Exclusive archives
Posting press releases yourself
Own mastodon account on our instance
Cultural Membership
360€ / Year
For cultural organisations
No annoying banners
A premium newsletter
10 trial newsletter subscriptions
All our podcasts
Participate
Insight into finances
Exclusive archives
Posting press releases yourself
Own mastodon account on our instance
Collaboration
Private Membership
50€ / Year
For natural persons and self-employed persons.
No annoying banners
A premium newsletter
All our podcasts
Have your say on our policies
Insight into finances
Exclusive archives
Own mastodon account on our instance
en_GBEnglish (UK)