De verloedering van de Swieps

Summary

A businessman brings home a hitchhiker who completely disrupts his family.

Adapted from the eponymous novel by Heere Heeresma, starring Ramses Shaffy. Jan-Hein Swiep, a nice businessman, picks up the rather shabby hitchhiker Manuel and brings him home. Within no time, the destructive Manuel (Ramses Shaffy) has turned the household upside down and everything is going to the dogs. The hitchhiker has pitted the couple against each other and is controlling their lives. During a drunken party the situation gets completely out of control.

Director Erik Terpstra used the eponymous novella by author Heere Heeresma as his point of departure for what was supposed to have been a made-for-TV movie for the Christian broadcasting corporation NCRV. They were shocked by the content of the film, however, which is why De verloedering van de Swieps ended up being produced as a feature film. Heeresma’s and Terpstra’s attack on the oppressive bourgeoisie wasn’t convincing enough for audiences, despite the persuasive performance of singer and actor Ramses Shaffy.

The film, which was called ‘a cruel comedy’ and was for the most part ignored, met an inglorious end. Heeresma would go on to have other books he’d written adapted for film such as Zwaarmoedige verhalen voor bij de centrale verwarming and Een dagje naar het strand.