TOURING DUTCH CINEMA

Tirana, Skopje, Sarajevo, Prizren, Istanbul, Belgrade, Zadar

WATER

‘Water’, the natural element that is so explicitly tied to the landscape, history, art and national character of Holland, with its many fishing villages, ports, dikes and delta’s, is the main theme of this edition of Highlights of the Lowlands. The Dutch connection to water is somewhat ambivalent, a love and hate relationship of sorts, signified by the everlasting battle against the dangerously rising sea levels, but also the prosperity thanks to fishing, navigation and recreational activities like sailing or famous, all country ice-skating.  Water, the unpredictable element that pounds the national character and moulds it into a spirit with an unyielding pride, to save land against all odds and even create new. The Delta Project following the disastrous floods of 1953, which stands as an example of Dutch stamina and resourcefulness, harvested high esteem around the world.

Water features in our very intriguing selection of fiction and documentary films, even animation, by Dutch directors, films that stick out as thrilling and dramatic stories with various specific styles. Some are modern and unattached, with vast and silent panorama’s leaving space for contemplation, others are made with passionate visual poetry. We bring you a selection of  compelling, high quality cinema of the Netherlands that at the same time represents the Dutch soul and national character. 

Rada Sesic