Mirte is a cleaner in the reception centre for asylum seekers near Schiphol Airport. Those entering the Netherlands as refugees stay ten days at most in this bunk-bedded vestibule to the promised land – a place and period that seems to stand outside of ordinary life.
This no-man’s-land suits Mirte. She is a woman damaged by life, snappy and defensive, who seeks a hold in the routine of the mop, even keeping her little boy at a distance. But when the West African Luc turns up, she has to lower her shield. Luc scratches her open emotionally. A cautious love blossoms, after which the farewell is even more painful.
The New World describes these grand emotions with expressive detail. The dialogue is sparse, the grey setting illustrative of a life on the fringe of society. The beautifully-maintained surly nature displayed by Bianca Krijgsman as Mirte ensures that this love-tragedy-in-ten-days does not get too sweet.
Film details
- Country of production
- Netherlands
- Year
- 2013
- Festival edition
- IFFR 2013
- Length
- 85'
- Medium/Format
- DCP
