Halina Reijn’s Instinct: Locarno, Toronto, London and NFF opener Carice on Reijn, Thrones and Red Light Doreen Boonekamp on ten years at the Film Fund Eye on Tarkovsky Previews of Cinekid and Holland Film Meeting Issue #36 September 2019 Locarno / Venice / TIFF / NFF issue Index COLOPHON 6-9 Instinctive director Halina Reijn’s 34-35 Trigger happy Joost van Hezik’s debut Instinct world-premiered at tragi-comic psycho-noir Boy Meets Gun See NL is published four times per Locarno, was selected for TIFF and world premieres at Busan year by Eye International and London, and now opens the Netherlands The Netherlands Film Fund and is distributed to international film Film Festival 36-37 Return of HFM Assessing the professionals. yearly interface between the Dutch 10-11 A piece of Carice Dutch icon production industry and the international Editors in chief: Marten Rabarts, Carice van Houten discusses Instinct, co-pro, sales and distribution sectors (Eye), Jonathan Mees (Netherlands Film Fund) Executive editor: Nick her friendship with Halina Reijn and their Cunningham Contributor: Geoffrey new production company Man Up 38-39 The kids are alright Previewing Macnab Concept & Design: Cinekid for Professionals 2019 Lava.nl Layout: def., Amsterdam 12-13 Girl talk Stefanie Kolk was back Printing: mediaLiaison Printed at Locarno with her latest short film Eyes 40-41 Kaboom time for toons on FSC paper © All rights reserved: on the Road, about three girls in a car The Netherlands has a new animation The Netherlands Film Fund and festival, based in Utrecht and Eye International 2019 14-15 Name of the father Isabel Amsterdam and kicking off November 9 Lamberti’s short documentary Father is CONTACT a touching account of a reunion between 42-43 Eye on a Russian icon The latest Sandra den Hamer CEO Eye th a man and his estranged son Eye exhibition focuses on a giant of 20 E [email protected] Century world cinema, Andrei Tarkovsky 16-17 Buried in the past Sergei Marten Rabarts Loznitsa explores the cult of personality 44 Back cover Rutger Hauer Head of Eye International E [email protected] in State Funeral, using archive of Stalin’s funeral Eye International PO BOX 74782 18-21 Closing the gap Five new 1070 BT Amsterdam projects with strong Dutch interest were The Netherlands T +31 20 758 2375 presented at the Venice Gap-Financing W www.eyefilm.nl Market in 2019 Doreen Boonekamp 22-25 A decade of change Outgoing CEO Netherlands Film Fund Film Fund chief Doreen Boonekamp E [email protected] reflects on her past ten years in charge Jonathan Mees Communications 26-27 Role reversal Human Nature, Netherlands Film Fund the latest animated short from Sverre E [email protected] Fredriksen world-premiered at TIFF 2019 Netherlands Film Fund Pijnackerstraat 5 28-29 Return of the king After the 1072 JS Amsterdam success of King of the Belgians The Netherlands Woodworth and Brosens are back with T +31 20 570 7676 W www.filmfund.nl the sequel The Barefoot Emperor ISSN: 2589-3521 30-31 Camera, lights, A’dam A significant part of TIFF selection The Goldfinch, based on the Donna Tartt novel, was shot in Amsterdam 32-33 So long, farewell… Marten Rabarts is leaving Eye International to head up the New Zealand International Film Festival Cover: Instinct Halina Reijn © Family Affair Films © Kris Dewitte See page 6 Human Nature Sverre Fredriksen page 26 2 3 State Funeral Sergei Loznitsa See page 16 The Barefoot Emperor Jessica Woodworth and Peter Brosens See page 28 4 5 Opening film: Netherlands Film Festival Toronto International Instinctive director Instinct Halina Reijn Film Festival 2019 Halina Reijn Now, Reijn has made her feature The idea of a professional woman film directorial debut.Instinct choosing to having an affair with (which picked up the Variety Piazza a known rapist (“sex with a Grande Award at Locarno as well psychopath” as Reijn puts it) might as a Special Mention – Best First sound like something out of a Feature) is based on an idea that late night thriller, but Instinct is the director herself had. It is about based on true stories. Reijn had an experienced female prison the idea for the film after watching © Amrita Panday psychologist (Carice van Houten) a documentary on love affairs who begins an affair with a patient/ conducted in prison. One of the Halina Reijn’s feature debut inmate (Marwan Kenzari) who is affairs involved a sexual offender Instinct world-premiered in locked up for crimes of sexual and his psychiatrist. “I was totally Locarno, screened in Toronto, is violence. A cosy chamber piece this intrigued by the question of how selected for London and will open certainly isn’t. you can fall for someone like that the 2019 Netherlands Film Festi- when you know better than any val. Geoffrey Macnab reports. “I was annoyed by the fact that other person – because you’re trained I couldn’t make up everything to know – what the traps are and how It was always part of the plan. When myself,” Reijn recalls of herself as a manipulative these people are.” Halina Reijn was growing up, her kid who loved performing but also childhood ambition was to become wanted to call the shots. If some­ No, Reijn never considered playing an actress… and a director as well. body else was telling her what to do, the role of the psychologist herself. she adds, she would feel like a That would have been biting off far Reijn has had a glittering career on “circus animal.” too much given that she hadn’t stage and screen in the Netherlands, directed a feature before. Instead, winning numerous awards in the Yet as her career progressed, Reijn she cast her close friend Carice van process. She starred in films made could see more clearly how her Houten, whom she has known since by the great and the good of Dutch considerable talents were an the start of her professional acting filmmaking talent, such as Paul essential component within artistic career and with whom she runs the Verhoeven’s Black Book, Alex van collaborations. She worked often production company Man Up, Warmerdam’s Grimm and Tamar with directors like Van Hove dedicated to creating female stories van den Dop’s Blind. She has written (with whom she has collaborated for from a female perspective. books and screenplays. She is 20 years and to whom she gives known as the muse of the renowned complete control). If she believed in Intriguingly, Reijn suggests that Belgian theatre director, Ivo van them, she found it would be there is a lot of her own personality Hove, touring the world in plays that exhilarating to help them realise in the self­destructive prison he has staged. She starred opposite their visions. “I am very good at psychiatrist who embarks so Jude Law in his adaptation of totally surrendering to a director recklessly on the affair. “Almost all Luchino Visconti’s seamy, noirish and really becoming clay in his the parts I did with Ivo are themed “Directing is about Obsession (1943), itself inspired by hands. I don’t ask questions. I just… around this masochism, self­ your soul but at the James M. Cain’s The Postman Always feel. I go into his heart or brain or destruction, sexuality and power,” same time it is about Rings Twice, and she gave grand­ whatever and I completely mould she says. managing a team” stand performances in Van Hove’s to his being.” Nonetheless, Reijn productions of Jean Cocteau’s La Voix always had the hankering to “create In directing Instinct, Reijn drew Humaine and The Fountainhead. something myself.” closely on her experiences © Kris Dewitte Instinct Director: Halina Reijn Scriptwriters: Esther Gerritsen, Halina Reijn Production: Topkapi Films (NL) - Frans van Gestel, Arnold Heslenfeld, Laurette Schillings Co-production: Man Up (NL), BNN-VARA (NL) Sales: Films Boutique 6 7 Instinct Halina Reijn Instinctive director Continued from page 7 working with Van Hove. “He was you don’t feel good or you don’t look Instinct was greenlit. When it there all the time, on my shoulder as right, it will affect you – and you are became apparent this was going to “Halina is a creator. it were. He doesn’t know this but irreplaceable. Everybody is looking be her debut feature as director, the She is a storyteller” he was so close to me while I was at you.” Topkapi boss was determined to directing it. Carice has never provide her with the most secure worked with him but knows him so Reijn was meticulous in her pre­ environment in which to make the well through my connection with paration for Instinct. After all, she movie. “She was a team player. him. We both felt he was there was very conscious that her two leads, By the time we were in financing, constantly, like a ghost, watching us Van Houten and Kenzari, are both I had to find her the best possible and being with us. Also, the themes major movie stars. One had been in crew. She trusted me… it worked of this film – power and sexuality – Game of Thrones, the other in Disney’s out perfectly well. We had a great are so close to him.” Aladdin. They knew as much about team. She is into the creative filmmaking as she did and she process of building stories and Yes, Reijn acknowledges, directing wanted to “really be on their level, building characters. On top of is stressful – but it isn’t nearly as and then on a higher level to help and that, she is really smart.