Still: The Promise - Daan Veldhuizen

The Promise** by Daan Veldhuizen will be joining the DOK.horizonte Cinema of Urgency Competition. The film, produced by Witfilm, revolves around a promise by the Netherlands for independence of the indigenous population of their ex-colony in West Papua, which has turned into a genocide the world remains silent about. 

Najiba Noori's Writing Hawa is part of the same competition. Three generations of Hazara women in Afghanistan fight for their dreams of literacy and independence against a backdrop of increasing oppression in the documentary that is minority co-produced by Een van de jongens. Sales are handled by First Hand Films.

Celebrating its international premiere in the Crossing Boundaries Programme is All is Well** by Peter Lataster & Petra Lataster-Czisch. As usual, the two filmmakers produced (L&F productions) and directed the film together. It is a warm observational portrait of daily life in a shelter for Ukrainian refugees in the Dutch city of Weesp that world premiered at IDFA. Read the SEE NL interview with the directors leading up to that event here.

Front Row** by Miriam Guttmann and produced by Scenery is also selected for Crossing Boundaries. It celebrated its world premiere at DOC NYC and boasts executive production from Sarah Jessica Parker. The film follows leading ballet dancer Alex, who goes into exile to escape the war, and soldier Oleksandr, who loses both his legs in combat. They form an unlikely friendship. Guttmann spoke to SEE NL before DOC NYC about her remarkable documentary.

In the Family Affairs Programme is Suzanne Raes' feature doc Where Dragons Live**. The imaginative and intimate portrayal of an eccentric family coming to terms with the loss of their parents, childhood and family home world premiered at Sheffield Docfest 2024 and was selected for IDFA and CPH:DOX. SEE NL spoke to Raes about her film before heading to Sheffield. The film is produced by Docmakers, sales are handled by Film Harbour.

Lastly, short doc Everything Will Be Alright, directed by Eefje Blankevoort and Lara Aerts (prod. Prospektor) is part of DOK.education (#DOK.4teens: 14 years and older). Samrawit is a sparkling 16-year-old who, when aged 8, did the impossible and fled solo from repressive Eritrea. But in the Netherlands, her problems aren’t over, so she decides once more to take matters into her own hands…

Find out more about DOK.fest München here.

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*film supported by the Netherlands Film Fund
**supported by the Netherlands Film Fund and Netherlands Production Incentive