AMSTERDAM (Netherlands), Feb 28 (ZIZ): Mokum Filmdistributie (Mokum Film Distribution) will release the documentary ‘Als ik mijn ogen sluit’ (When I Close My Eyes) in cinemas across the Netherlands on March 28. The documentary, about the experiences of women who survived the Japanese camps in the Dutch East Indies (Nederlands-Indië), will premiere on March 24 at the Movies That Matter Festival (March 22-30, The Hague). On March 25, the film will open the Dutch Movies Matter Night for the festival.
In ‘Als ik mijn ogen sluit’ (When I Close My Eyes), women who survived the Japanese camps tell about their experiences and how they dealt with them later in life. The women were just girls when they were imprisoned. What they saw and experienced has left deep scars that have still not healed or disappeared. When the women close their eyes, these ‘forgotten’ stories resurface.
Pieter van Huystee Film made this documentary in collaboration with Tomtit Film. The film is a personal work of director Pieter van Huijstee. Van Huijstee’s mother, along with her own mother, was imprisoned in the Japanese women’s camps in the Dutch East Indies (Nederlands-Indië) during World War II.
The director addresses the women who also belong to the survivors to listen to their personal stories while they still can. The film uses drawings and animations based on them to color the compelling stories.
