Joost Seelen

About 10 years ago, filmmaker Ton van Zantvoort got to know Stijn, an idealist with a cheerful, relaxed nature. Stijn is one of the last remaining Dutch shepherds working in the traditional way. We see the shepherd, his sheep and his three loyal dogs crisscrossing nature reserves and farmlands so the herd can graze the land in an eco-friendly way. But nowadays, little remains of the romance and peace that we associate with the centuries-old tradition of sheepherding. Tenders are increasingly hard to acquire—competition from big companies, cheap East European shepherds and smart machinery make Stijn the expensive choice.

Gert is the ambitious managing director of a car dealership in Vianen who is way ahead of his troops. With a boundless energy he encourages his employees to be the very best. No department is spared in learning ‘The New Way of Working’ through countless training sessions and endless meetings. But will he manage to eventually turn employee 1.0 into employee 2.0 and how does his personnel deal with this increasing pressure? How does a family business survive in a time of economic crisis?

Why do you have to do what everyone else does and why does everyone have to look the same? Ninnoc struggles when she is in a group. She doesn't just want to adapt to the others, but she's also afraid of being excluded. Can you deviate in a group? Or will you then end up alone?

Italian photographer Paolo Ventura creates stories by giving life to the simplest of materials which he has gathered. He gave up a successful career as a fashion photographer because he just had to photograph the images that haunted him. Images that the artist had imagined as a child when his grandmother told him about her adventures during the war. In his studio, in a barn on top of a secluded mountain, he creates a timeless melancholic world that resonates the isolation in which he grew up. Ventura conquered the international art scene with his photography series War Souvenir and Winter Stories. His work is included in collections by renowned museums in Italy, France and the US.

Rob Krikke (33) has Down’s syndrome and is an actor with a theatre company. Since his sister died in an accident, that event won’t let go of Rob anymore. A decision is taken to make a play about her death. Documentary maker Didderiëns follows this process closely, shunning neither poetry nor confrontation.

In nature only one rule counts; eat or be eaten. WILD BOAR is a poetic, and visually arresting documentary about the curious relationship between man and the rise of the wild boar. The film tells a story about confusion, despair and opportunity amidst the invasion of unruly creatures that won’t abide by manmade rules and laws. From the dark woods where it originates, this almost uncontrollably dangerous creature goes deeper and deeper into our villages and cities but at the same time tickles our imagination and inspires us. WILD BOAR is an exploration of a society conflicted with nature and a reflection of the curiosity of human nature itself. Will we eat them or will they eventually devour us?

From 1940, around 25,000 Dutch people served in the Waffen-SS. In spite of their large number, they did not make much public disclosure after the war. Eight Dutch former SS men tell their story in this documentary. Never before have former SS men talked so openly about their motives, their (wrong) acts, their experiences on the (Eastern) front and their struggle with the memories of the past.

In the second half of the 1970s, the squatters' movement emerged as a result of the housing shortage while a mass of property was empty. The squatters soon acquired a bad name for their violent outbursts, such as during the inauguration of Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands. It Was Our City unravels the history of the Amsterdam squatters' movement through interviews with the squatters, for whom the political battle was more important than creating living space.