Entry 22-895 | The Netherlands | 2022 | 53’ | Language: English | Subtitles: Estonian
Waves Beneath The Water
Holland vee all
The Netherlands and water, a country and an elemental force inextricably interwoven. The mills, pumping stations, polders and dykes are famous and magnets for tourists. The country is
surrounded by water in a captivating landscape of ditches, canals, ponds, pools, lakes and rivers. As much as 16% of the country is fresh water and a third of the land lies below sea level. But... what do we actually know about the aquatic lives of the fresh water residents? In this blue chip film, we see protagonists that are hidden from us in our daily lives, because they live under water. The complexity, beauty and ingenuity of those below the water surface is fascinating. The diversity of species, sizes, behaviour, colours and shapes is enormous. This is a world that you think only exists on coral reefs, until you find a farm ditch and put your head underwater.
Original title: Nederland Onder Water
Details
Cinematography
Arthur de Bruin, Mees Swinkels, Tim Visser
Editing
Alan Miller
Composer
Matthijs Kieboom, Pepijn Peters
Producer
Cees van Kempen
Production Company
Ispida Wildlife Productions
Contact of presenter / Director
Awards
Best Director
Jury: A wonderful mix of wildlife stories expertly woven into the journey of a single eel, on her age-old journey from sea to freshwater domain and back, through man-made obstacles, one after another. The director clearly had passion and vision for this film. His expert understandings in the stories told in this film are evident throughout. The cinematography would’ve been hard to capture in these underwater river habitats, but the story flow is clean and told with fantastically clear underwater sequences, including a perfectly realized moment when the young eel bumps into a concrete wall. Along with the story of the struggles faced by the eel, there are strong, albeit very subtle, environmental messages expertly woven throughout the film. From people using water as a playground against a struggle for survival beneath the waves, to an image of fishing dropped in, a dog upsetting coots during playtime. Subtle but stark references. Those along with mentions of invasives. All tied together by excellent narration, which was funny in places, and a well put together soundtrack. Unobtrusive music, woven in with appropriate natural sounds, carrying the film along at the right pace. All in all, a stunning film, from start to finish, born out of passion, and it showed!
