BERG

  • 79'
  • Netherlands
  • 2021

Three hikers meet shortly before climbing a mountain together. They discuss their expectations briefly in voice-over. It is not until fifteen minutes later that we see them – as unrecognisable dots on the landscape. They never lose this nullifying anonymity, neither do they speak again. The protagonist here is not the people setting out to climb the mountain, but rather the mountain itself. Valleys cloaked in powdery snow, eroded rock formations and majestic peaks are all depicted in crystal-clear black and white. Here it is man who has to adapt, picking a path step by tentative step, hoping that the mountain will not block the way.

Dated film footage of a rescue team suddenly interrupts the majestic flow of the silent landscape. A minimalist soundscape mixes wind, the buzzing of insects, rushing water and rolling thunder into a symphony of natural forces. Here, thoughts disappear and a connection to the earth is forged. BERG is a highly aesthetic landscape experience, with a spiritual charge.

  • 79'
  • Netherlands
  • 2021
Director
Joke Olthaar
Premiere
World premiere
Country of production
Netherlands
Year
2021
Festival Edition
IFFR 2021
Length
79'
Medium
DCP
Languages
Czech, Croatian, Hungarian
Producer
Marc Thelosen
Production Company
seriousFilm
Sales
seriousFilm
Screenplay
Joke Olthaar
Cinematography
André Schreuders
Editor
Katarina Türler
Sound Design
Hugo Dijkstal
Music
Rutger Zuydervelt
Local Distributor
Windmill Film
Director
Joke Olthaar
Premiere
World premiere
Country of production
Netherlands
Year
2021
Festival Edition
IFFR 2021
Length
79'
Medium
DCP
Languages
Czech, Croatian, Hungarian
Producer
Marc Thelosen
Production Company
seriousFilm
Sales
seriousFilm
Screenplay
Joke Olthaar
Cinematography
André Schreuders
Editor
Katarina Türler
Sound Design
Hugo Dijkstal
Music
Rutger Zuydervelt
Local Distributor
Windmill Film