Kids & Docs
Jan’s Mom
De moeder van Jan Anneloor van Heemstra The mother of 11-year-old Jan is in prison. She’s been incarcerated for a year and still has about 18 months to go. So how does that affect Jan’s day-to-day life? Well, he can’t call her when he feels like it. And she can’t pick him up from school, or answer the questions he so wants to ask. Questions like “What’s it like in prison?” Anneloor van Heemstra has made an intimate impression of a few days in Jan’s life. If there’s something he wants to tell his mother, he records it. “Hi, Mom, it’s Jan.” A discussion with his friends is particularly moving. “Do you think I’ve changed?” Silence. “Well, no. You do get angry more easily. But we understand why.” The film takes place at a time when Jan wants to ask his mother how she’s really doing – it’s something he doesn’t dare to ask. We see him preparing for a good talk with her. The excellent camerawork and the subtle shifts of perspective and depth of field create a dreamy atmosphere that complements Jan’s obvious vulnerability. Van Heemstra shows that, despite everything, the boy hasn’t lost his childhood innocence.
The Netherlands, 2012 HDcam, color, 16 min Director: Anneloor van Heemstra Photography: Aage Hollander Editing: Anneloor van Heemstra, Susanne Helmer Sound: Susanne Helmer Music: Sem Bakker, Roald van Oosten Production: Albert Klein Haneveld for Hollandse Helden World Sales: Hollandse Helden Screening Copy: Hollandse Helden Involved TV Channel: NCRV
Anneloor van Heemstra:
Fan, fier en fierder (2006) Girls in Guyville (2007) Rebel in a Suit (2008) Astronaut (2009) Tough Guys Don’t Cry (2011) Do or not to Do (2012)
www.anneloorvanheemstra.nl
Just a Girl, You Know Een meisje, jij weet zelf Eef Hilgers
Thirteen-year-old Maria claims to be really good at talking baloney. So it’s a good thing she’s got her own YouTube channel, using the moniker Happynudge. Like many of her peers, she shares her vlogs, shoplogs and video clips. It’s a world of its own, a network where users meet huge numbers of new people. Maria sees some of them as her friends, even though she’s never met them. We get a picture of her online life through the videos of Maria and others. They aren’t particularly original, as demonstrated by a shot of tens of videos on one screen featuring girls giving similar semi-professional makeup tips. As well as in her many YouTube videos, we see Maria at home while she’s online, and we accompany her when she goes to meet her online friends in person for the first time at a YouTube gathering. In what appears to be a Skype conversation, she explains that she’s aware of the danger of imitating other people, and she talks about the role YouTube plays in her life. Is Maria losing herself in the digital world or will she find her own voice?
212
The Netherlands, 2012 HDcam, color, 20 min
Eef Hilgers:
Director: Eef Hilgers Photography: Jelle Dijkstra Editing: Eef Hilgers Sound: Eva Nijsten, Paul André Oliehoek Production: Eef Hilgers Screening Copy: Eef Hilgers
www.eefhilgers.nl
Awards: TENT Academy Award
directing debut