Newton Film

How would it be to suddenly loose consciousness? To loose control of your own body and life? That an attack is constantly on the prowl? Director Jef Monté knows how this feels as he developed epilepsy recently. In this documentary he follows a young woman who wants to live an independent life, but who is prevented from this because of her epilepsy. The film shows the struggle she must make to get control of her own life again.

In the Netherlands, the integration process for refugees is called a "Customer Journey." Refugees are seen as customers, guided through an endless chain of forms, rules, and institutions: a system designed for efficiency but experienced as a labyrinth. Customer Journey follows a large Syrian family seeking a home for the family and two sisters of Somali descent who are part of the LGBTQ community and dream of becoming actresses as they navigate this complex system. Around them, civil servants, volunteers, and social workers do their best to help, often in humorous and touching ways, yet hopes frequently collide with procedures. The film reveals a world where bureaucracy meets good intentions, where dreams are tested by rules, and after navigating it all, have the hopes that brought you here been realized?

The career of Eindhoven-based artist and musician Dick Verdult spans decades. He is seen as an outsider, as 'the last Dada-ist'. But what we experience as elusiveness turns out to be quite controlled and firstly funded on very personal experiences from his childhood as a 'Philips child' in Latin America. Rather than experiencing globalism as a problem, Verdult is like a cheerful, transcultural mutant. We see how, at the age of 60, he has become a cult musician in South America, Russia and Japan and is increasingly recognised internationally as a visual artist. This documentary explores Verdult's multidisciplinary, international art practice. We see Verdult at work in his studios in Bergeijk (The Netherlands) and Calanda (Spain) and on tour in Peru, Colombia and Argentina.