15/01/2009

This year is an exceptionally good year for Dutch films at the Berlin Film Festival, with no less than three Dutch films screening in the Forum section and another in the Generation sidebar, all by female directors. A Romanian/Dutch co-production also plays in the Forum.

Eugenie Jansen will present her verité circus tale Calimucho in Berlin. The drama was produced by Stienette Bosklopper for Circe Films.

Can Go Through Skin is a psychological drama from newcomer Esther Rots, who also wrote and edited the film and is one of its producers through Rots Filmwerk. The film is co-produced by NFI Producties and broadcaster NPS.

Swiss-born director Sonja Wyss returns to her Heimat in Winter Silence, produced by Digna Sinke for Dutch outfit SNG Films. The film is a German-language tale set high up in the mountains during winter. All three films will have their international premieres at the Forum in Berlin.

Another film from a female director, Mijke de Jong’s prostitution drama Katia’s Sister [+see also:
trailer
film profile], is part of the Generation sidebar. The film premiered at the Locarno Film Festival last year.

A fourth film in the Forum section, Radu Jude’s debut The Happiest Girl in the World, is a Dutch co-production through Circe Films. The film looks at the friction in a Romanian family after the daughter wins a car in a contest and has to appear in a commercial as the happiest girl in the world. Ada Solomon of Hi Film Productions is the Romanian producer.

The Berlin Film Festival runs Feb. 5-15.