Finalist

Waves Beneath The Water

Holland vee all

2022

Original title: Nederland Onder Water

The Netherlands and water, a country and an elemental force inextricably interwoven. The mills, pumping stations, polders and dykes are famous and magnets for tourists. The country is surrounded by water in a captivating landscape of ditches, canals, ponds, pools, lakes and rivers. As much as 16% of the country is fresh water and a third of the land lies below sea level. But... what do we actually know about the aquatic lives of the fresh water residents? In this blue chip film, we see protagonists that are hidden from us in our daily lives, because they live under water. The complexity, beauty and ingenuity of those below the water surface is fascinating. The diversity of species, sizes, behaviour, colours and shapes is enormous. This is a world that you think only exists on coral reefs, until you find a farm ditch and put your head underwater.

Ticket info Vote for audience favorite

2022

Best Director

Jury: A wonderful mix of wildlife stories expertly woven into the journey of a single eel, on her age-old journey from sea to freshwater domain and back, through man-made obstacles, one after another. The director clearly had passion and vision for this film. His expert understandings in the stories told in this film are evident throughout. The cinematography would’ve been hard to capture in these underwater river habitats, but the story flow is clean and told with fantastically clear underwater sequences, including a perfectly realized moment when the young eel bumps into a concrete wall. Along with the story of the struggles faced by the eel, there are strong, albeit very subtle, environmental messages expertly woven throughout the film. From people using water as a playground against a struggle for survival beneath the waves, to an image of fishing dropped in, a dog upsetting coots during playtime. Subtle but stark references. Those along with mentions of invasives. All tied together by excellent narration, which was funny in places, and a well put together soundtrack. Unobtrusive music, woven in with appropriate natural sounds, carrying the film along at the right pace. All in all, a stunning film, from start to finish, born out of passion, and it showed!

Finalist

Waves Beneath The Water

Film recommendations

Stick Together

Documerica, Self-portrait of a Nation on the Brink

Welcome to the Forest - Mind the Gap

Supporters

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Lihula raamatukogu

Director	Arthur de Bruin
Cinematography	Arthur de Bruin, Mees Swinkels, Tim Visser
Editing	Alan Miller
Composer	Matthijs Kieboom, Pepijn Peters
Producer	Cees van Kempen
Production Company	Ispida Wildlife Productions
Original Title	Nederland Onder Water
Entry Number	22-895
Country of Production	The Netherlands
Year of Production	2022
Running Time	53’
Language:	English
Subtitles:	Estonian