A World to Shape

About 10 years ago, filmmaker Ton van Zantvoort got to know Stijn, an idealist with a cheerful, relaxed nature. Stijn is one of the last remaining Dutch shepherds working in the traditional way. We see the shepherd, his sheep and his three loyal dogs crisscrossing nature reserves and farmlands so the herd can graze the land in an eco-friendly way. But nowadays, little remains of the romance and peace that we associate with the centuries-old tradition of sheepherding. Tenders are increasingly hard to acquire—competition from big companies, cheap East European shepherds and smart machinery make Stijn the expensive choice.

In the Netherlands, the integration process for refugees is called a "Customer Journey." Refugees are seen as customers, guided through an endless chain of forms, rules, and institutions: a system designed for efficiency but experienced as a labyrinth. Customer Journey follows a large Syrian family seeking a home for the family and two sisters of Somali descent who are part of the LGBTQ community and dream of becoming actresses as they navigate this complex system. Around them, civil servants, volunteers, and social workers do their best to help, often in humorous and touching ways, yet hopes frequently collide with procedures. The film reveals a world where bureaucracy meets good intentions, where dreams are tested by rules, and after navigating it all, have the hopes that brought you here been realized?