Ellen Vogel

The story of three torn apart families on the verge of Sinterklaasavond, the Dutch equivalent of Christmas Eve.

Bezet gebied ('Occupied Territory') is the first feature-length Dutch fiction film to deal with World War II, and was made in a documentary style. Dutch diva Ellen Vogel is stunning in her feature debut, in spite of the mediocre image quality. We're showingt a digitalisation of a version that underwent analogue conservation in 1983. It's not a restoration, so the image quality is average.

Disappointed with humanity, God wants to revoke his contract with humanity and wants to take back the stone tablets containing the ten commandments. To this end an angel is sent out to affect the personal lives of three humans so an appropriate child may be conceived.

The older Prince Bernhard tells the story of his exciting life to Princess Máxima. After all, when Prince Willem-Alexander takes the throne, she will be his Queen and take up much the same position as Bernhard did as husband to former Queen Juliana of the Netherlands. His story takes us from Palace Soestdijk to once-German Reckenwalde with the young Bernhard, to Nazi-Berlin, wartime in London, Argentina and Canada and much more. It paints a portrait of the world from the thirties to the beginning of the twenty-first century. Bernhard survived the deepest of crises: accusation of treason by Ian Fleming during the war, corruption in the fifties and seventies, extra-marital daughters and even being the main reason for a dutch governmental crisis.

1920s Germany. Two sisters aged six years, no sooner see their remaining parent buried when they are torn apart. Lotte goes to live with her upper middle class Dutch aunt in Holland, Anna to work as a farm hand on her German uncle's rural farm. The World War II impacts each of their lives and finally in old age they meet again.

Playwright and director Nils Wijn brings his relationship issues to the stage. In his play "The Whore, the Virgin, and the Dying Man," he has his girlfriend Tessa appear in revealing lingerie and takes her to a real prostitute for some practical lessons. This is too much for the actress. Their problem turns out to be contagious, as other members of the theater company also get into arguments with their partners.

The actual life and the fiction created by a successful pulp author begin to blend together.

A woman disguises herself as a man to avoid prosecution for murdering her lover fifteen years ago. She is the last living member of a wealthy Vienna family, and has spent the years after the murder traveling Europe with her female servant. Her travels provide her with an anonymous cloak that allows her freedom of movement but little peace of mind. Nearing middle age, the guilt and weariness of an empty life has her contemplating suicide as the only way out of her dilemma.

A boy is resentful of his mother's budding romance with the best friend of her late husband, and is torn and confused about his emerging feelings for Toni, a young girl in his neighborhood. His fascination with an antique Oriental knife leads him to steal it and he uses it to try to impress Toni while at the same time trying to break up his mother's relationhip.

An actor tempts fate when he convinces a legendary, but loose-cannon, theater director out of retirement to give a masterclass at a drama school.

A young painter takes up French lessons with an elder lady to ensure he’ll get a grant for a French arts institute. That way he meets Anna, a beautiful married woman nursing the lady’s old father, and falls in love with her.

A group of holidaymakers descends on the West Frision Island Vlieland, where each of them is confronted with relational problems. Loneliness, surfacing secrets or a crisis; everyone gets their share.