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Stones Have Laws
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Stones Have Laws
IDFA 2018

Stones Have Laws

Dee sitonu a weti
Van Brummelen & De Haan
Netherlands, Suriname
2018
100 min
World Premiere
Festival history

Majestic shots of the forest and the alternately serene and turbulent river set the scene, while members of the Surinamese Maroon community, who are descended from enslaved Africans who were able to free themselves, shed light on their world. They show us how they live, how they consult their ancestors and forest spirits, and how this is all integrated with the use of modern tools.

In reenacted situations—set deep in the forest, along the river or around a campfire—village elders and younger men and women talk about the history of their people and the spirits of the natural world around them. A broad spectrum of subjects unfolds, including the dramatic escape by one of the ancestors, the struggle against the Dutch colonists, and the binding laws of trees and boulders. Desolate landscapes draft a grim picture of the far-reaching effects of the arrival of mineral-hungry multinationals.

But to start off, members of the Maroon community discuss their feelings about the film. Should they put their trust in the good intentions of the filmmakers?

Credits
Director
    Van Brummelen & De Haan
    Van Brummelen & De Haan
Production
    Van Brummelen & De Haan,
    Kerstin Winking for Vriza,
    Marc Thelosen for seriousFilm,
    Darek Szendel for Ideal Film
    Van Brummelen & De Haan,
    Kerstin Winking for Vriza,
    Marc Thelosen for seriousFilm,
    Darek Szendel for Ideal Film
Cinematography
    Van Brummelen & De Haan
    Van Brummelen & De Haan
Editing
    Van Brummelen & De Haan
    Van Brummelen & De Haan
Sound
    Van Brummelen & De Haan
    Van Brummelen & De Haan
Screening copy
    Van Brummelen & De Haan
    Van Brummelen & De Haan
Distribution for the Netherlands
    Windmill Film Distribution
    Windmill Film Distribution

Images

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