#Talent Issue Verhoeven back in Cannes Competition with Elle Oscar-winner Dudok de Wit’s feature debut in Un Certain Regard Film Fund invests in talent Never a better time to go Dutch co-pro Fassaert and Gould New doc masters Dutch line-up at TriBeCa, Cannes and Annecy Issue #23 May 2016 Cannes/Annecy issue Download the free app for iPad and Android Index COLOPHON See NL is published four times per 4-5 NieuweBorn identity EYE 30-31 Heddy days Leading year by EYE International and The Netherlands Film Fund and International’s Marten Rabarts discusses documentarian Heddy Honigmann talks is distributed to international film the extension of the SEE NL identity to See NL after winning the €150,000 professionals. Prins Bernhard Cultuurfonds Award 6-7 Instinct for Cannes Paul Verhoeven Editors in chief: Marten Rabarts (EYE), Jonathan Mees is back in Cannes competition with Elle, 32-33 EYE on a Dutch Master (Netherlands Film Fund) 24 years after his notorious Basic Instinct The latest EYE exhibition focuses on Executive editor: Nick the Dutch master DOP Robby Müller Cunningham Contributors: 8-9 Elle in vogue Editor Job ter Burg Geoffrey Macnab Concept & discusses Cannes competition selection 34-35 Short Cuts News from the Dutch Design: Lava.nl, Amsterdam Layout: def., Amsterdam Printing: film industry Elle and working with The Netherlands’ mediaLiaison Printed on FSC paper most acclaimed film export Circulation: 2600 copies 36 Cannes Producer on the Move © All rights reserved: 10-11 Wit and wisdom Oscar-winning Janneke Doolaard of KeyDocs The Netherlands Film Fund and Michael Dudok de Wit is selected for Un EYE International 2016 Certain Regard with his animated feature CONTACT debut The Red Turtle Sandra den Hamer CEO EYE 12-13 A Winter’s Tale Koutaiba E [email protected] Al-Janabi’s Daoud’s Winter, produced by Marten Rabarts Trent, is selected for Cannes Atelier Head of EYE International E [email protected] 14-15 Tijger burning bright Film Fund CEO Doreen Boonekamp reports from EYE International PO BOX 74782 Beijing on the huge potential for Dutch/ 1070 BT Amsterdam Chinese collaboration The Netherlands T +31 20 758 2375 16-19 State of Affairs Documentary W www.eyefilm.nl filmmakers Tom Fassaert and Ester Doreen Boonekamp Gould discuss their momentous CEO Netherlands Film Fund past year E [email protected] 20-21 Norway goes NL co-pro Ellis Driessen International Affairs Hans-Jørgen Osnes talks about Netherlands Film Fund co-producing with The Netherlands on E [email protected] his Handle With Care Jonathan Mees 22-23 Festivals: lowdown from the Head of Communications Netherlands Film Fund Lowlands Dutch festival news E [email protected] 24-27 Talent, in short The Film Fund’s Netherlands Film Fund Dorien van de Pas outlines how Pijnackerstraat 5 investment in new Dutch talent is paying 1072 JS Amsterdam The Netherlands huge dividends T +31 20 570 7676 W www.filmfonds.nl 28-29 Holland gets animated Eight Dutch films in selection at the world’s leading animation festival Cover still: Elle Paul Verhoeven See page 6 Michael Dudok de Wit’s The Red Turtle See page 10 2 3 Nieuweborn identity Project SEE NL EYE International’s Marten It was for Cannes 2015 that Rabarts ascendancy at international film Rabarts, head of international first had the idea to invite some of festivals. “There has been growth, promotion for Dutch film, is The Netherlands’ top makers and expansion and change with really joining forces with Het Nieuwe designers to share creative space in successful festival outings,” he Instituut for Architecture, Design the Festival Pavilion with their argues. “Toronto was a record- and New Media at Cannes 2016, cinema counterparts. This created a breaking year for Dutch selections, not only to present the broad business environment that was both we had a fantastic array of films at spectrum of creative diversity cool and stylish and very easy on the Berlin, especially documentaries that is Dutch cinema but also the eye, and one which raised and, in the USA, 2016 has already best of contemporary Dutch international footfall towards Dutch been a breakthrough year with films ‘SEE NL is an identity for design culture. What’s more, the cinema. and interactive projects being all Dutch film culture’ tricky question of branding a selected in Sundance, SXSW, and nation’s cinematic offer has In 2016 guests can lounge on the TriBeCa in quick succession.” been cracked. Nick Cunningham eye-catching furniture of Moooi and reports. Studio Job, take meetings at tables The Production Incentive is, he by Bert Jan Pot and Marcel Wanders, claims, enabling Dutch producers It took a while for the penny to drop. and be greeted by luxury brand to raise the bar in terms of output, All the time that Rabarts was NLXL Wallpaper, designed by Piet international co-operation and looking for a succinct and poignant Hein Eek. “Even the walls will be quality, and the Film Commission is expression of Dutch film identity, covered with work from the notching up success after success there it was in the name of this very collection of the Rijksmuseum, attracting film producers to shoot magazine that for the past five years reminding visitors that the and post-produce here (see Short has been successfully promoting Netherlands has been bringing Cuts, page 34). Meanwhile Rabarts Dutch film across the world at the great art to the world for centuries,” has also upped the ante in terms of leading international film festivals. Rabarts asserts. “We soft-launched engagement with international the new SEE NL branding at the festival programmers. Photo: Yvonne Witte “The extension of the SEE NL title is EFM with a design that a smart step forward; It’s a title that complimented the Martin Gropius “This is a connection that we have urges people to look at us. Moreover Bau itself. The attention generated really looked to strengthen,” he it’s an identity for all Dutch film by the stand, in particular Marcel points out, “bringing the culture.” he underlines. “So now Wanders’ iconic horse lamp, programming community to the SEE NL will be the promotional translated into excitement to know Netherlands for tailored screening home for our films, our directors more about the many films we had visits. I think it is essential that and the Netherlands film in the selection and the market. The when festival directors and professionals. The SEE NL banner visual impact and playfulness of programmers look at Dutch cinema also provides an umbrella for the what we did created a unique they are not just seeing a film on the great Dutch film festivals, the EYE meeting point.” screen, they have an understanding Film Museum and its collection, the of where its roots lie, who made it, Fund and the Commission. These Rabarts argues that the time is ripe and what the film is telling us. are the cornerstones of Dutch film to underline the Dutch film cultural Bringing more of these people to culture which the SEE NL identity identity after recent years when the Netherlands is playing an will represent.” Dutch filmmakers have been in the important role in that.” EYE International’s Marten Rabarts 4 5 Cannes Competition Instinct for Cannes Elle Paul Verhoeven Maverick Dutch director Paul came aboard. “She wanted Verhoeven suggests that he gives Verhoeven has made films in the absolutely to do the movie.” female characters “equal Netherlands and in Hollywood. importance…and that is already Now. aged 77, he has directed Verhoeven describes Huppert as exceptional… the whole industry is his first French feature,Elle , “not only a superior actress” but a based on male performance.” screening in Cannes “very audacious” one, with no fear competition. He talks to Geoffrey of tackling taboo subject matter. “I love women,” he continues. “I am ‘the film heads in a direction Macnab. “She fully trusted me and I trusted much more at ease with women. I that is likely to take her. I let her go and let her have a lot am more open and show more of audiences by surprise’ Yes, Verhoeven says, the famous of freedom…it would have been myself with [them],” Verhoeven French cult of the auteur is still in very, very difficult to find somebody reflects. “I grew up thinking women existence. “It is wonderful there. else in the world who could do what are fantastic and I still think that. I That’s not the case in the United she did.” The director is at pains to certainly have many more female States, with the exception of 10 or 15 point out that Elle is “absolutely friends than men (friends).” directors. It is the studio that not” a revenge story. The film heads decides.” in a direction that is likely to take The film’s highly disturbing rape audiences by surprise. scene was very precisely In Hollywood, Verhoeven suggests, choreographed and challenging to the director has become “as Verhoeven agrees that he has often film. Editor Job ter Burg talks about interchangeable” as the screenwriter. made films with strong female how difficult it was to edit such “They change them as if they’re characters, whether Basic Instinct brutal material (see p8). Verhoeven cattle,” he adds. In France, by with Sharon Stone or, more recently, relied heavily on “the intuition of contrast, filmmakers are revered Black Book with Carice van Houten. Isabelle ” in tackling the scene. “If and cinema “culture” is taken very His Turkish Delight (1973), the there was something that would seriously. It was “very scary,” though, highest grossing Dutch film in the bother her, I’d think, OK, she’s the working in French, a language he country’s box-office history, character, she knows better than I.” had not spoken in 60 years since his featured a very strong female lead in father sent him to Paris when he the form of Monique van der Ven, as A quarter of a century ago, was a teenager.