Ralf Verbeek

A Parked Life is an intimate portrait of Petar Bonchev, one of the hundreds of thousands of Eastern European truck drivers who work in the west.

A year-long profile of the Artemis String Quartet. Just before celebrating its 30-year anniversary, the Berlin based Artemis Quartet goes through one of its most turbulent years to date. When the last founding member, cellist Eckart Runge, decides to leave the quartet in 2018, with second violinist Anthea Kreston following his departure, the quartet is shaken to its core. They agree to stay together until the end of the season, giving the remaining members the chance to reconstruct the quartet once more. Will the shared love for music be strong enough for the Artemis Quartet to persevere? Filmmaker Hester Overmars portrays the quartet, its former and new members, throughout this extraordinary year, having full access to their rehearsals, life behind the scenes and international performances. From up close, the film observes how the quartet lives through their reconstruction.

In a world where fantasy meets reality, Tengkwa leads a band of Dutch wrestlers and tries to train a new generation of superheroes. With slim chances of fame and glory, only the most die-hard of them will succeed.

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.

“Robberies, shootings, fights, burglaries, weed plantations.” Jose sums up life in his neighborhood in the southern part of Rotterdam. He longs to ride with the notorious stunt bike group known as Team Domina on their illegal “ride-outs” through the city. There are sometimes more than 100 riders, doing extended wheelies and other stunts amid the busy traffic. The riders set off from the southern suburbs and head for the wealthier north bank of the river. In a ride-out, the kids from the south manage to get themselves seen by the northerners—but also by the police, who crack down on their dangerous stunt riding.

Tony is a movie about Dutch company Tony Chocolonely, a company dedicated to realise a 100% slave free chocolate industry.

Stage registration of the fourth comedy special by Dutch comedian Micha Wertheim. A show about anger, repetition, change, and repetition.

Nineteen-year-old Bendja was born in the Netherlands, but his roots are in Moluccas. His father, writer Frans Lopulalan, understands his son’s desire to touch Moluccan soil; he shares that wish. The two decide to travel to the village of Porto on Saparua island, where Frans’ deceased father, a former KNIL soldier, used to live. Verhaagen follows them on their trip to the tropics. A trip that the two men experience in different ways. Frans writes a lot and visits the ground where his father’s house once stood. Bendja dives into the daily village life. He also wonders if he shouldn’t resume his ancestors’ battle. Frans has mixed feelings about this: ‘I hope he can identify with being Moluccan without it necessarily causing him to reject his life in Holland.’ The personal experiences of father and son Lopulalan are complemented by significant archive footage.