onafhankelijke films
I produce and direct sinds 1986 many TV documentaries (series) about social and social issues from a human interest approach. In my films I try to show what is normally not shown, but in daily reality is the order of the day.
In the series 'GIRLS AT THE CROSSROADS' ('MEIDEN VAN DE KEILEWEG', 1999) on street prostitution, it is a free-scene between client and prostitute. The documentary 'RUUD AND RIA, UNTIL THE END', 2000) focuses on the love-hate marriage of ex-boxing champion Rudie Lubbers and his wife Ria. Rudie became known for his match against Mohammed Ali, it ended in a victory for Mohammed Ali on points. The film ends in a fight scene between Ruud and Ria. In the series 'ON THE THRESHOLD OF LIFE' from 2001 (about 'the process of dying'), the death of a mentally handicapped woman was filmed. And then "FOUTE VRIENDE", 2010, a documentary epic over a period of 16 years, focus on 3 criminal friends from Amsterdam. It is an 'inside story' about the Dutch / Amsterdam criminal environment. This film is in the collective memory of many Dutch people and is teaching material at the Dutch Film Academy. The film was named 'best documentary 2011' by Dutch TV. The documentaries 'I AM JANTJE' (1994) and 'FRIENDS FOR LIFE' (2000) were previously broadcast by the NOS and NPS, respectively, on the same triad. From 2005 upto 2011, Dames followed a group of Moroccan youth in their everyday reality. It resulted in the films 'I AM MOHAMMED' (nominated as best documentary during the Dutch Film Days 2005) and 'MOCROS' in 2011. 'LOST DAUGHTERS', 2016 deals with the relationship between a mother and her addict, by loverboys sexually abused daughter. Her mother has a shelter for victims of sexually abused girls. She tries to help those girls return to society, while she is not able to help her own daughter. Previous series on the same characters are 'LOVERBOYS', 2007, NPS) and 'THE LOVERBOYS FILES', 2011, NPS). In 2017 the film "THE PROMISE" was broadcast by BNN / Vara. A film about the Moroccan-Dutch writer Mano Bouzamour of 22 who writes a bestseller about his youth.
This year the movie 'MAX, A LIFE IN MENTAL PRISON' is broadcast by BNN / Vara. Psychic prisoner Max has been followed since 2011. He has been free since 3 years. In December 2017, the maker won a film contest written out by the broadcaster NCRV / KRO with a proposal about Dutch artist Rob Scholte. And the 3 part serie '25 jaar FOUTE VRIENDEN', to be broadcasted in march 2021. Besides this, I have several films in preparation or production. From the beginning of my filmmaking career I financed most of my (no budget) films out of the (partly) funded films. This is becoming increasingly difficult, if not impossible. The 'censorship' is also increasing, it is becoming very difficult to make 'your own film' (that became very clear in my film 'Max, a life in TBS'). Anyhow, I want to keep doing that.
Films that I myself finance at the moment include:
-'Buro TBS, a possible series on a law firm specialized in TBS. The main characters are ex-TBS clients and so concerns the period after their TBS-period;
-History is my life', the life history of Igor Malinsky. A survivor of the great famine (6 million deaths) in Eastern Ukraine around 1935, Auschwitz, Mauthausen. From Mauthausen as a soldier against the Japanese. Back in Ukraine, he taught as a professor of technology. And after his retirement he motivates the Ukrainian soldiers at the front with the sepratists. His former friends (Russia) is now his biggest enemy. Now he is heavily decorated, 'Hero of The Ukraine', but a the same time living in poverty. I'am filming Igor since 2015. He is 96 years old.
-'The Hotel ', a film about a refugee family from Abkhazia who have lived in an abandoned hotel in Tblisi, Georgia, for 25 years. Filming since 1998, 4 generations within the family.
-'De Patatboer', a series in the making about a young fries farmer in the Westland. Not really an obedient citizen. Remains open during the corona time during the lockdown. It is a series about people trying to survive, sometimes against the law. But with humor, and also the other side of life, loneliness.
The films often have years of recording time (like the series now in production, '25 jaar Foute Vrienden) and that means there is a relationship of trust between the filmmaker and his characters: this makes possible the films that the director has in mind, the everyday reality and the reason (s) behind. So, to continue my independent filmmaking I really need your financial support.
