The screening of two documentary films will give the Dutch National Ballet a strong presence at the Netherlands Film Festival, which takes place from 26 September to 5 October. As in previous years, the festival will be held in Utrecht.
the ballet masters
On Thursday 27 and Friday 28 September, the festival will premiere the short (58-minute) documentary De balletmeesters (The Ballet Masters). The film by the well-known Dutch film-maker Sonia Herman Dolz mainly follows Rachel Beaujean (head of the Dutch National Ballet’s artistic staff) and Guillaume Graffin (ballet master with the Dutch National Ballet). Dolz says, “In 2011, the Dutch National Ballet celebrated its fiftieth anniversary. It is only really the choreographers and star dancers of this internationally renowned company who are well-known. But behind the scenes, the role played by the ballet masters is just as crucial. As a living link between past and present, they pass on the special art form of classical ballet to the new generation of dancers. The heritage and top standards of fifty years of the Dutch National Ballet are in their hands”. The documentary is a contender for a Golden Calf Award.
Co-producer NTR is broadcasting the documentary on Tuesday 30 October on Nederland 2, in the programme ‘Het uur van de wolf’.
toer van schayk
The premiere of a short (52-minute) film portrait of choreographer and visual artist Toer van Schayk will take place on Saturday 29 and Sunday 30 September, and on Tuesday 2 October. Film-maker Barbara Makkinga recently followed Van Schayk and discovered that he is still regularly to be found in the studios, ateliers and wings of The Amsterdam Music Theatre. The division between visual art and theatre has put its stamp on Van Schayk’s life. Nowadays, there also appears to be time for introspection. Should he have focused on just one discipline? And are dance and visual art just as transient as life itself? These are some of the questions addressed by Maakinga and Van Schayk. The documentary will also be broadcast (subject to change) by the AVRO in the programme Close Up on 2 October.
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