Als een vlieg naar de vlam

In an inventive and above all cinematographic and essayist way, As a Fly Drawn to the Flame tries to solve a riddle. Why did a young lady from very affluent circles in 19th century The Hague choose an extremely dangerous life? Why did that lady in the era of salons and corsets set off for the African desert?

The film is about the life of Alexandrine Pieternella Françoise Tinne (1835-1869). In the 19th century there were more explorers from noble or at least affluent backgrounds that set off for the blank spots on what was then the map of the world, but Alexandrine Tinne was still fairly unusual as a woman.

The film, made from the perspective of the home front, travels more through time than across the world. Using old photographs, feeling and seeking with the camera, a strikingly lively picture is sketched of the adventures of the traveller. The old images are filmed loosely and nimbly and mixed with fictional shots. These include for instance the remains of the caravan of the last, fatal journey by Alexandrine Tinne and images of a chronicler (played by the Algerian-Dutch director Karim Traïdia) who tries to formulate his vision of the puzzle in dressing gown with a quill pen.

Another striking element for a historical film: the film maker did everything herself, from script to camera and from directing to sound. So it is a film about two dauntless ladies. (GjZ)