Simon Carmiggelt

Bert Haanstra paints a portrait of The Netherlands and the Dutch, in his own unparalleled manner. Partly with the aid of a hidden camera he observes people in the most diverse situations. He shows the unusual in the usual and the usual in the unusual. The harsh years of the post war era of reconstruction have passed and for most people life is better than before.

A gentle comedy about three brothers, each of whom inherited something of their deceased father’s personality. Their paths keep crossing in curious ways.

The story of three torn apart families on the verge of Sinterklaasavond, the Dutch equivalent of Christmas Eve.

Recording of Wim Sonneveld’s successful one man show ‘An Evening with Wim Sonneveld’, which ran from 1964 to 1966.

Recording of the duo cabaret show by the Dutch cabaret artists Wim Sonneveld and Ina Faassen.

Short film in which Dutch author Simon Carmiggelt visits the hairdresser.

The Netherlands and water, they are inseparable from one another. Water in its soothing form, as a place of work and pleasure and as a source of threat and misery. Bert Haanstra thought it a great subject for a big cinema documentary and made The Voice of the Water. At the start, while the credits are still running, it is already apparent how remarkable and original he portrays the beauty of the landscape of the Dutch coastline. In the following ninety minutes we see numerous people that live, work and recreate on, by and in the water. Often they are being observed in a gentle humorous way that reminds us of The Human Dutch. Some people prefer to stay far away from all the wetness: the little boy having a swimming lesson, but who doesn’t dare to put his head under water, is forever imprinted on the memory of many of the viewers.

Eight newspaper-columns by Dutch writer Simon Carmiggelt were turned into a film in honor of his 70st birthday.