Two emerging filmmakers who use the genre of documentary as a diary-like film form, bringing together (archive) footage, memories and intimate observations. From a strongly autobiographical perspective, both films seek a cinematic language to grapple with themes such as identity, loss, love and change.

Kus kus beng beng
In a tender portrait pieced together from home videos, photographs, diaries, audio recordings and interviews, director Ollie Launspach explores the impact of his gender transition on his girlfriend Sterre Mulder. As he attempts to fathom her emotional world, the chaos in his own mind slowly comes into focus.

Mijn lief kind
In July 2014, AIDS activist and feminist anthropologist Martine de Schutter was murdered. Ten years later, her only child Maarten attempts to reconstruct their relationship, her life and his lost memories in a documentary that is part love letter, part cry of rage. The result is an associative mix of archive footage, conversations, photographs, objects, letters and sound clips. As such, this debut film is a resistance against the inevitable fading and disappearance of memories, but above all an intimate portrayal of the bond between mother and child. The screening will be followed by a Q&A with Maarten de Schutter.

-Hil

Letterboxd (Kus Kus Beng Beng)

Letterboxd (Mijn Lief Kind)