Wastelands

The Oudejaarsconference (New Year's Eve performance) of the year 2023 by the Dutch comedian Micha Wertheim.

Freek de Jonge intends to stage one last magnificent show, to once again draw in the crowd. The performance of his life, in which he confronts various painful events, descending to the depths of his soul. This way he hopes to rekindle the drive of thirty years ago: has he done things right, will he be able to make up for the times he failed as a man and as an artist?

Tom and Ajani are outsiders in their small conservative village in The Netherlands. Together, they dream of freedom and a new life as film students in Amsterdam, where their relationship no longer has to be a secret. When they finally leave their old life in the countryside behind, they are confronted with the norms and social constructs of the big city that turn out to be completely different than what they imagined. While Ajani thrives in the Amsterdam queer scene, Tom struggles to find his place, putting a strain on their now public relationship. In this new world, freed from always being hated for who they are, who will they become?

James leads a lonely life in a luxurious castle in which his parents run a hotel. He never goes out with friends, spends his spare time in his room and peeks at the hotel's guests out of boredom and curiosity. Chased by his controlling mother, who only wants him to finish his homework, James is more interested in the group of handsome Swedish soccer players staying at the hotel. When he finds one of the boys injured at the hotel's swimming pool, James offers his help and smuggles the boy into his room and locks the door. Locked up with a strange boy in his own room, James experiences the complexity of his own sexual feelings for the first time.

Two guys in their early twenties, a hitchhiking Dutch student and a Swedish police officer with a broken police car, meet each other on a Swedish country road. On their way to the gas station, their suspicious understanding gradually changes.

Sinterklaas and his helpers are preparing to depart for the Netherlands on the steamboat. When Danspiet secretly brings a parrot on board, things go terribly wrong. This cheerful bird quickly causes chaos on all fronts. Baking Pete is at his wits' end when the chocolate melts, Cool Pete gets red bumps, and Danspiet gets into a fight with her best friend. Ultimately, things go so wrong that the boat veers off course and runs aground on an island. Will Sinterklaas's Club arrive in time for Christmas Eve?

When his boyfriend shows up unannounced, Elias' religious family learns their son's darkest secret.

A married factory worker confronts his feelings as they bubble to the surface, two boxers fight for more than just keeps, a countryside coming out doesn't quite go to plan, while at the beach a boy makes an unreal discovery. Come and explore a thoroughly Dutch view on life and love. The 5 short films are: Brick [Steen] (2013); South of Heaven [Ten Zuiden van de Hemel] (2019); Lukas by the Sea [Lukas aan Zee] (2016); Dante vs. Mohammed Ali (2018); Beautiful Alexander [Mooie Alexander] (2019).

The Rectum Raiders are a Turbo Glam-Metal band who have been together since their early teenage years. Now years later when a grown-up life with responsibilities and full-time jobs come peaking around the corner they give themselves one final shot to get their big breakthrough as a band and fulfill their childhood dreams.