Finn
Mohaq - ages 8+ - Ajyal Youth Film Festival 2014
Frans Weisz / Feature Narrative / Netherlands, Belgium / 2013 / 90 min / Colour / DCP / In Dutch / Arabic, English subtitles / MENA Premiere
Rated: Parental guidance is advised. Some material may be inappropriate for young children.
Synopsis
Life is quiet for nine-year-old Finn and his widower father in a small Dutch country village until, one day, a crow leads Finn to an abandoned farmhouse, where a gruff, white-haired old man named Luuk has taken up residence. The elderly gentleman is a master violinist and, the first time Finn hears him play, he has a beautiful vision of his late mother – whom he only knows from photographs. From this moment, Finn wants nothing more than to experience the vision again, and so he asks old Luuk to teach him to play.
Luuk eventually agrees. For reasons all his own, however, Finn’s dad forbids his son to learn the instrument, and so a coming-of-age tale unfolds, in which a youngster uncovers the power of his own will, and a family comes to terms with the tragedies of the past.
This charming film is greatly enhanced by a liberal injection of magic realism, which heightens the emotional impact of Finn’s journey of self-discovery. At the same time, it provides for a mysterious atmosphere of twists and surprises that is maintained until the final triumphant moments. ‘Finn’ warms the heart – and it might even make you believe in magic. The film won a jury prize at the Giffoni Film Festival this year.
About the Director
Frans Weisz was born in Amsterdam in 1938. He began his studies at theatre school, but quit after one year to attend the Amsterdam Film Academy, after which he was awarded a scholarship to the Experimental Film Centre in Rome. Weisz has directed feature films including ‘Red Sien’ (1975), ‘Charlotte’ (1981), ‘A Hot Summer Night’ (1982), ‘Last Call’ (1995) and ‘Happy End’ (2009), as well as several series for television.
Credits
- Director
- Frans Weisz
- Screenwriter
- Janneke van der Pal
- Producer
- Sabine Veenendaal
- Editor
- Michiel Reichwein
- Composer
- Fons Merkies
- Music
- Fons Merkies
- Cinematographer
- Goert Giltay
- Sales Company
- Attraction Distribution
- Production Company
- Flinck Film
- Cast
- Mels van der Hoeven, Daan Schuurmans, Jan Decleir, Justin Emanuels, Jenny Arean, Hanna Verboom, Manou Kersting, Esther Scheldwacht, Mark van Eeuwen, Annelies Appelhof