de storm original WEB

Storm, The

(De Storm)

Year 2009
Runtime 96 mins
Language Dutch
Subtitles Dutch with English Subtitles
Alberta Premiere

Nature and nurture collide in this Dutch film that finds real human drama in the aftermath of a devastating 1953 flood. When a torrential storm breaks through the dikes in the coastal province of Zeeland, single mother Julia (Sylvia Hoeks) takes refuge with her family in her parents’ attic. Before they can be rescued, though, Julia and her infant son are separated by the rapid floodwaters and the chaos they bring. As the village tries to cope with the disaster, Julia and her rescuer (Barry Atsma) begin the seemingly impossible task of finding her son in the midst of the wreckage.

The first film to tackle the Dutch disaster, THE STORM eschews the large-scale storytelling of director Ben Sombogaart’s last few films for a story that is narrow in scope but rich in intensity. The floods, which led to the evacuation of tens of thousands of Dutch citizens, are suitably menacing, but it’s Julia’s story that puts the scope of the tragedy in focus, finding an emotional core in an event that defies understanding.

Countries

Netherlands
Awards
Winner, Golden And Platin Film 2009, Netherlands
Director
Ben Sombogaart
Executive Producer
Joris van Wijk, Ronald Versteeg
Producer
Alain De Levita, Johan Nijenhuis
Screenwriter
Marjolein Beumer
Cinematographer
Piotr Kukla, Michel van Laer
Editor
Herman P. Koerts
Production Design
Hubert Pouille
Music
Fons Merkies
Cast
Sylvia Hoeks
Barry Atsma
Dirk Roofthooft