Dutch filmmakers Marieke Helmus, Femke Monteny and Yoka van Zuijlen form an unconventional yet successful young directors team. Their combined background in filmmaking, performing arts, graphic design and photography provides a unique approach to independent cinema.
Their first film CAPE TOWN SOUP was shot in 2010 in South Africa. It’s is a filmed survey full of personal Capetonian stories: a melting pot of cultures. A film about the greater (and smaller) challenges in life (how to wear my hear and how to keep out of prison) are shown in an absurd and theatrical setting. The dancers, too, contribute to the unusual and often witty composition, giving the city the allure of a contemporary stage scene.
In ROTTERDAM’S TEARS they further developed their way of working in their hometown Rotterdam. They like their films to be associative, curate the different images to engage the fantasy of the viewers to look at the city and its people in a new and different manner, over and over again.
Femke Monteny is a theatre director, film maker and she also has a degree in Sociology. Femke is the founder of the ‘Wachtende Mannetjes’, a collective that realises film- and theatre projects with different performers every time. For all projects themes are chosen which Femke finds personally intriguing (borders, beauty, solace).
Yoka van Zuijlen’s field of activity includes film and theatre. With her background in graphic design and a theatre education, she makes beautiful scenographics, photographs and film images.
Website: http://www.wachtendemannetjes.nl and http://yook.nl.
Besides making films with the ’Wachtende Mannetjes’ Marieke Helmus developed different individual projects, especially documentaries and short dance films, which have been shown on international film festivals. She started coaching different groups in filmmaking: in 2013 she taught young choreographers to make a short dance film (4Culture Association Bucharest) and in 2014-2015 she teaches young architects to make short films as a research project of their future designs. Marieke leads a double life. She studied medicine as well and she works as an addiction doctor.
Rewards: WEET WAT JE IN HUIS HAALT (first prize Fair Food), DANSEN IN STILTE (Competition Cinedans 2013), ALS ALLES BIJZONDER WORDT (nominated for Gouden Reiger), GLAD IJS (2012 selection for ‘rhythm one minutes’), RUFTY (directors prize 48 hour Cinekid 2013).
Website: http://mariekehelmus.tumblr.com.