'Djina Was Here' -in production

Djina Was Here is an intimate, cinematic monument to a woman who spent her entire life longing to be truly seen. The film weaves together ten years of archival footage into a poignant epic about identity, trauma, and the quest for love. From the suffocating macho culture of Curaçao and a painful past as a minister to her courageous transformation into a woman: Djina’s journey is one of extremes.

The essence of the film lies in the blurred line between documentary and friendship. As Djina battles a failing medical system and the physical agony of a botched surgery, the camera serves as the instrument that finally grants her the recognition she craved. Djina is a character full of humor and resilience; even on the threshold of death, she celebrates her autonomy with an explosion of color.

When she ultimately chooses euthanasia, the filmmaker’s role shifts from observer to companion at her bedside. The film stops where life ends, yet it leaves an indelible impression: a raw indictment of the dehumanization within healthcare and a universal ode to the power of radical empathy. Djina was here, and she has finally been seen.

Image: Djina in her last moment

Graduation film '2gether'

In 2GETHER, director Ava Meijer embarks on a quest to relive an intense friendship from her adolescence. However, as Nauli—the friend with whom she shared this bond—distances herself from the film, Ava turns to best friends Storm and Sieuwke to rediscover that past sense of togetherness. To what extent can Ava project her former friendship onto them, while simultaneously attempting to mend her fractured connection with Nauli?

The full film is available to watch on NPO Start. https://npo.nl/start/afspelen/2gether

Third year film (Dutch Film Academy) 'Ik Heb Toch Maar Even Geroepen' ('I Just Called Out For One Last Time')

A short documentary I directed during my third year at the Dutch Film Academy centers on Jan Foudraine, a psychotherapist whose influential book in the seventies disrupted the landscape of medical psychiatry, subsequently rendering him a persona non grata within the field. The documentary chronicles his final literary endeavor before his passing, encapsulated by the poignant sentiment, "I just called out for one last time" (Ik heb toch maar even geroepen).

'Amsterdam Huilt' ('Amsterdam Cries')

'Amsterdam Cries' is a short documentary I crafted during my formative years at the age of nineteen. It delves into the dynamic transformation of a neighborhood where I resided at the time, illustrating the stark divide between the influx of affluent residents, colloquially referred to as 'yuppies,' and the longstanding local community centered around the iconic Albertcuyp market. The documentary captures the tensions arising from conflicts between market vendors, who traverse a roadway laden with goods for market construction, and cyclists prohibited from riding in the area. Through this lens, the documentary elucidates the frustrations directed towards the encroaching gentrification."

'Niet Loslaten' ('Don't Let go')

"Don't Let Go" is a short documentary that immerses viewers in the vibrant ambiance of a Chinese Karaoke bar in Holland, providing a unique window into a cultural phenomenon that transcends geographical borders.

Second year film (Dutch Film Academy) 'Warm Water'

Short documentary shot on 16mm about a group of male refugees living together in a car garage in Amsterdam Zuidoost without access to warm water. The female neighbor across the street generously shares her home, particularly her bathroom, where she invites the men one by one to take a hot shower while she washes their clothes.