relationships

Turks fruit

A sort of Dutch take on Love Story, but without the sentimentality. Paul Verhoeven's adaptation of Jan Wolkers’ best-selling novel broke all box office records. Humour and tragedy, violence and tenderness, love and death are all taken as much for granted as in real life.

Alicia

A funny feature film by Wim Verstappen with a moral, but little pretension.

However, there is a touch of feminism to the story of a young, married woman who, on a sudden impulse, leaves her home and family - a husband and two children - because she feels the need to prove herself somewhere and in some way. The film mainly depicts the male reactions to this impudent female ‘escape attempt’, which, according to Western morals, naturally has to fail without anyone getting really hurt.

João en het mes

The first feature by documentarist George Sluizer is a suspense story blending racial overtones and strong dramatic action.

Filmed in the heartland of Brazil, it conveys much of the prejudiced social position and the subservient role of women in the isolated groups of that immense country. The cast is exclusively made up of Brazilian actors. Joffre Soares plays João, an older cowherd and hunter who marries Maria, a young, shy and beautiful girl, who because of her marriage vows, is condemned to remain with João even though they are unable to conceive children.

De dans van de reiger

Psychological thriller about a love triangle, based on a screenplay by Hugo Claus.

The film takes its theme from the mating dance of the heron.

A woman, dissatisfied with her marriage, tries to goad her husband into ‘dancing’ for her, which may at the same time be interpreted as acceptance of the more playful side of life.

Mens erger je niet!

Hans and Rietje have just got married. He is a truck driver and often away from home. Rietje's mother feels she knows plenty about the life her son-in-law is leading and sets her daughter against him. Rietje gets a job in a hotel and comes into contact there with a film producer, Pim de la Parra, who has a way of walking around in the nude with his secretary. Hans is so disturbed by this contact of his wife's that he becomes responsible for a road accident. When the case is heard, Rietje takes the blame on herself, but Hans is sentenced to five months in jail all the same.

Het jaar van de kreeft

The portrait of a brief but tumultuous love affair between a young woman and a man about the same age, 30, whose style of life is utterly different. Pierre is a successful businessman, a 'modern conservative'. Toni is a hairdresser with a company of revue artists, living in a far less protected world. The people she moves among are different from Pierre's rather formal friends. They find it fairly easy to disregard existing norms. But Toni's non-conformism arouses Pierre's interest.

Een ochtend van zes weken

Jimmy, a racing driver meets Annette, a model from Paris at the Zandvoort circuit.

They both use their work as a means of escape, and during their brief affair neither of the two has the courage to be their true self. The subsequent series of misunderstandings between them causes Annette to decide to return to Paris when her work in Amsterdam is finished. In this process of growth, of reaching maturity, Jimmy loses not only the girl he loves but also his self-assurance, and he has no choice but to abandon his racing career.