Aaf Bouber

Worried about the ‘declining morals’ of 1950s Amsterdam, taxi driver Piet Amstel decides to emigrate to Australia. The government drive to build atomic shelters and the incessant Dutch rain only strengthen his purpose, as Amstel figures sunny Australia would make a positive change for his family. But first he needs to bring his daughter and her criminal boyfriend back on the right path.

Mobilization on the brink of the Second World War divides a husband and wife. When lawyer Frans van Loon is called up to join the mine clearance service he doesn't want to worry his wife and keeps it from her. His secretiveness leads her to believe he doesn't love her anymore. She subsequently falls for the charms of an actor. When Frans finds out, a violent quarrel ensues.

Still coming to terms with the death of her mother, Willy Verhulst loses her father as well -- just as she is about to sit her final exams. She manages to pass, and as she is trying to find a job she remembers a young man she met in the hospital. The boy, Herder, works for a radio station and gives her a job as a secretary.

Judy Aalders grows up in an orphanage. Albert Woudenberg happens to be present when Judy confronts the trustees of the orphanage and is expelled. He decides to send her to university and Judy, who has only ever seen his shadowy long legs, refers to him as 'Daddy-Long-Legs' from that day. Not knowing he is in fact her benefactor, Judy's relationship with Albert gradually turns into love.

This government commissioned film -- made on the occasion of the forty year anniversary of queen Wilhelmina's reign -- chronicles the lives of two Dutch families from 1898 to 1938 against the backdrop of the social and political events of the times. It shows the emergence of trade unions, the troubled years of the First World War, the development of aviation and Schiphol airport, the Dutch East Indies and the lives of the Dutch royal family.

Mientje comes from an ordinary working class family. Her father's alcoholism threatens to put an end to her engagement to Herman, her well to do fiancée. When her parents divorce, Mientje comes into conflict with her future mother-in-law. A grim but ultimately hopeful look at marital problems, poverty, lost love and alcoholism in a working class neighbourhood in Amsterdam.

Merijntje Gijzen is a small boy growing up in Brabant, in the south of the Netherlands. One day, out on one of his walks, he meets infamous poacher 'De Kruik,' and the two become friends. De Kruik is in love with Janekee but she is more interested in the new village policeman.

When shaving cream seller Lou Helm is spotted by Anita Mara of the Odeon Revue, who thinks he was born to be a music hall star, he eagerly signs a contract and leaves his girlfriend Annie. His star career, however, does not turn out the way he planned...

Dirk van der Kooy returns to the Dutch East Indies for a five year stint as the administrator of a sugar factory. His second wife Betje, however, unexpectedly decides to join him. Once there, she finds out that Dirk has a daughter from an earlier marriage, leading to misunderstandings galore...

Fisherman’s widow Kniertje urges her two younger sons to set sail on the ‘Op hoop van zegen’, a heavily insured floating wreck which duly goes down in a storm. Kniertje is left behind, alone and lonely. Based on Herman Heijermans’ socialist-inspired Dutch theatre classic.

In 1930s Amsterdam, greengrocer Bet is involved in illicit affairs with businessman Van Santen. To tighten bonds even further, Bet arranges a marriage between her handsome daughter Jans and the businessman's wacky son Hannes. Jans, however, is in love with tough sailor Ko. Based on the succesful Dutch stage musical by Herman Bouber.

After serving in the Royal Navy, Manus, Toon and Dries return to Amsterdam working-class quarter 'the Jordaan'. Back home, they find out things have changed while they were gone; Manus's girl Jans has been unfaithful to him, Toon's father now rejects him on account of his dissolute life and barmaid Auntie Piet has been cooking up a scheme to ruin Dries' relationship with his girl Greet.

After years of touring abroad with his "Cirque Hollandais", Hendrik van Dalen returns to Holland, hoping that his brother will lend him financial support. Since the death of his wife, things have gone from bad to worse with Hendrik, who drowns his sorrow in drink. Moreover, he has set his heart on the circus-equestrienne, who pretends to love him but is having an affair with the company's wrestler. By encouraging Hendrik to drink, they hope to get their hands on his possessions. Hendrik's daughter sees through their designs and, with the aid of the clown Louisot, tries to foil their plans.

Van Duylen, representative of a diamond syndicate, brings to Amsterdam the Koh-I-Noor II , the largest diamond ever found. In one of the city's oldest diamond-cutting establishments it is cleft and the nine small stones are polished. Escorted by detectives, Van Duylen takes the stones home and puts them in his burglar-proof safe. He tells his wife that its doors are electrically charged and that anyone opening them in the wrong way will immediately be electrocuted. Two suspicious persons, Jack the Acrobat and the lion-tamer Feenstra, prowl around Van Duylen's villa, inspecting the doors and windows.

Het wrak in de Noordzee ('The North Sea Wreck') is a fisherman's drama about the romance between the daughter of a Scheveningen captain and a young fisherman. Their love is threatened when another fisherman sinks the boat of his rival, and blackmails the girl's father to give away her hand in marriage. Eventually the missing fisherman pops up again, and marries his beloved. His criminal rival is punished.