In the sixties, the founders of the magazine De Nieuwe Stijl were radiant stars in the Dutch literary heavens: Cornelis Bastiaan Vaandrager, Armando, Hans Sleutelaar and Hans Verhagen. They came from the trendy world of advertising, treating writing like ‘readymades’. Throughout his life, Vaandrager remained true to his ideals: you have to try everything. He became a poet, actor, father, writer, vagabond and junky, eventually ending up literally in the gutter.
Rob Keers and Bob Visser made a fascinating portrait about the legendary figure of Vaandrager. They followed him for the last few months of his life on his adventurous and devastating journeys. The film portrays a celebrity who succumbs to his own ideals. Vaandrager’s life is a modern fairy tale: the literary Bohemian in the big city dies lonely in a hospital. Rotterdam plays an important role in the film, a city that had a great impact on the life and work of Vaandrager.
Part of RTM, the Rotterdam selection
Also in this combined programme
-
Plan Delta
Futuristic fantasy (from 1983) taking place around 2300 in two cities: one for the elite who become infertile, one for the potent poor. -
Het veld van eer
During their honeymoon in Verdun, Louis turns into a fanatic maniac and tries to attack his brand-new bride, Ada. -
Kranenballet
Music video of ‘Doin’ Time’ by the new-wave band Kiem, with a choreography performed by Seaport Terminals crane operators. -
Het gat van Nederland – J.A. Deelders stadsgezicht
First extensive television portrait ever made of poet Jules Deelder, where he criticised the attempts to soften Rotterdam’s image.
Film details
- Country of production
- Netherlands
- Year
- 1995
- Festival edition
- IFFR 2020
- Length
- 81'
- Medium/Format
- Betacam Digi
