MY STORY
Storytelling is in our blood. As an eleven-year-old boy I made my first 'book', entitled Africa. A world of my own, pasted full of pictures from travel guides and written from a childlike desire for adventure and connection. The nuance was missing, the clichés were rampant — but the most important thing was born: the realisation that stories can open doors to worlds that are bigger than ourselves.
ALLROUND STORYTELLER.
Since 2010, I have been making independent documentaries, (travel) programs and commissioned films for broadcasters, streamers and organisations whose vision I share. My background in anthropology leaves an important mark on everything I make. My interest and specialization lies in cultural diversity, identity, imaging and (in)justice. People in their context, the view of the other, the ways in which humans and cultures meet and collide — these are the lines along which I work and look. Stories about sex workers, influencers and top athletes. About struggle, dedication and liberation. I always try to make worlds accessible without flattening them, and to make perspectives visible that often remain hidden.
As an all-round filmmaker, I mainly focus on directing, but I also have skills in camera, sound and editing. I often work with my own film equipment and editing set. My technical skills give me the freedom to work intuitively and always stay close to the story. But working with a larger team is also not strange to me and obviously has its advantages too.
STORIES THAT STICK.
My strength lies in telling personal, intimate stories that make grand themes tangible. In everything I create, the power of the personal and the vulnerable plays a central role. With a ‘show, don’t tell’ approach, I look for stories that let you experience instead of inform you. They let you crawl into a different skin. In doing so, I trust the intelligence of the viewer to fill in for themselves and I leave room for their own interpretation. Because that is precisely where the power lies to change perspectives. With one image that sticks. Or one character that you won’t let go of.
MY FIRST FILM.
With a background (and degree) in anthropology and tourism impact, I traveled to Southern Ethiopia in 2010 to make my first documentary: Framing the Other. Without a film education, but driven by the need to tell a story through film. The film unexpectedly grew into a worldwide success, with screenings at more than a hundred festivals and several awards. From that moment on I knew: stories in film form are my way to connect people and open up worlds.
