This ambitious film begins by placing the viewer in the position of a migrant on a dinghy, which soon capsizes. “Where am I?” asks the roaming ghost of the drowned man as he floats into an unnamed European port city in search of an answer. Moving between the streets where migrants gather in groups, mostly to talk, mourn and wait, and the private places where they eat, sleep and pray, this film is by turns aloof and intimate, harrowing and tender. Knibbe not only patiently observes his subjects, but also quietly listens to their conversations, which are marked by despair and yearning. The outcome is an impression-rich film that is equal parts straight documentary and a cinéma vérité-influenced experiment in narrative.
Cape Town:
Wed 8 6.45pm Labia3
Fri 10 6.45pm Q&A CN6 V&A
Jozi:
Tue 7 7pm Bio
DUTCH FOCUS
These screenings are made possible by the generosity of EYE Institute Netherlands
With the signing of the recent co-production treaty between South Africa and the Netherlands, new international opportunities are opening up for filmmakers in the country. In the spirit of this co-operation, Encounters and EYE International present a focus of three contemporary Dutch documentaries at this year’s festivals. These films reveal the global appeal of recent documentary film production in the Netherlands.
