Jury report: 2022 IDFA Award for Best Dutch Film

Overall we appreciated the films in this jury and felt privileged to see films from the country so graciously hosting us. It was nice to learn what kind of issues, perspectives, and ideas are pressing for Dutch filmmakers!

We had lots of variety in what different team members personally preferred, but after a discussion, the sincerity of the filmmakers’ approach and, even more, the transformative power of filmmaking were eventually the qualities we were particularly looking for.

Special Mention

This film was a magical, transformative journey which took us beyond our expectations of what the film touches upon, while at the same time refraining from exploiting its participants or subject matter. The film captures the miracle of becoming a character in a film; it elevates the moments experienced by the main characters into something unnamed that only cinema can capture. We award a Special Mention to Inside My Heart by Saskia Boddeke.

IDFA Award for Best Dutch Film

This film was a sincere, tender, and honest examination of the filmmakers’ experience at the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic that went beyond their personal lives and reflected upon broader themes of the present-day multifaceted crises. Deftly conveying time and place, belonging and longing for a shared existence with others—birds, bees, and humans alike. This film was a lovely paean to that which really matters in life. The IDFA Award for Best Dutch Film goes to Journey Through Our World by Petra Lataster-Czisch and Peter Lataster.