Fanfare

Summary

Comedy about two competing brass bands in the village of Lagerwiede.

Bert Haanstra’s directorial debut, based on a screenplay Haanstra co-wrote with Jan Blokker. The film drew two and a half million people to the cinema and remains one of the most popular Dutch films. The village of Giethoorn still reaps the profits from having served as the film’s scenic backdrop.

In Fanfare, Haanstra tells the story of an acrimonious conflict between two members of the local brass band ‘Kunst en Vriendschap’ (Art and Friendship). The band is split in two and the two hotheads and their followers are doing their utmost to sabotage each other’s attempts at becoming the band who will represent the village at the upcoming brass band competition. The film ends in a ‘harmonious’ finale, a wonderful achievement both technically and musically.

The visual inventiveness of the film still makes it a joy to watch today. At the beginning of the film, a particular camera angle makes the cows in the boat seem to float through the landscape. In another shot, the shadows on a sheet hanging out to dry turns the innocent conversation between the man and the woman who are standing behind it into a passionate embrace.