Stijn van Santen

Viewed with a playful eye, everyday things such as a lot of sugar, smoke and the view undergo a metamorphosis and change into a glittering crystal mountain landscape where clouds pass by.

From schools and offices to hospitals and streets, cleaners are working everywhere, tirelessly and modestly. They work hard and keep society running. Invisible confronts viewers with their own involvement and reveals the price paid for the appearances we cherish.

The film follows the chaotic shoot of a Jules Verne–style period science-fiction film. Artificial, cardboard-like sets merge reality and fantasy as actors wander off into a forest; meanwhile Tuinder becomes entangled in conflicts on-set and a secret crush on lead actress Tara Elders. The layers are anchored by Tuinder’s reflective voice-over and his recurring character Sally de Winter, a platinum-haired girl in a pink dress carrying a mysterious suitcase.

The hesitation of a couple in love about whether or not to make love leads to an unfortunate coincidence of events.

The film ‘Play within a play’ is a triptych which visualizes the intense experience of intimate and ephemeral moments. Simple details appear as natural phenomena which engage the viewer and give an experience of the universal sensation of beauty.