Cheryl Ashruf

Dutch filmmakers gathered to make this compilation movie, consisting of 17 segments, as a reaction to the status quo in The Netherlands after the assassination of filmmaker Theo van Gogh on november 2, 2004.

In the run-up to Christmas, a family completely misses the point in trying to be good. Brechtje, the mother of the family, gets cancelled by everyone, without understanding why. Her husband, Martijn, falls in love with his younger colleague, but true love can’t be denied (or so he thinks). Justus, the son-in-law, gets lost on a Don Quichotesque quest for his masculinity. While Jos, the middle child, changes the world around with her tolerance and open mindedness – until her girlfriend wants to have a threesome. And all of that happens just before their annual Christmas dinner.

Baantjer is a Dutch television programme which was broadcast by RTL 4 from 6 October 1995 until 1 December 2006 for a total of 123 episodes in 12 seasons. It stars Piet Römer as Jurriaan 'Jurre' de Cock, a police detective, and Victor Reinier as Dick Vledder, his helper. The series is based on the novels of writer A. C. Baantjer. In 1999, RTL 4 broadcast the television film Baantjer, de film: De Cock en de wraak zonder einde because of the tenth anniversary of the network.