First edition of the Filmhuis Gouda Festival
A brand-new film festival featuring no fewer than 10 exclusive preview screenings for Gouda and the surrounding area. That’s the Filmhuis Gouda Festival. From November 20 through 22, enjoy a long weekend filled with brand-new films that haven’t been shown—or have barely been shown—in the Netherlands yet.
For three days, Filmhuis Gouda will be screening films that had their world premieres at the major film festivals in Cannes, Berlin, and Venice, as well as right here in our region. And you can enjoy it all while savoring tasty snacks, delicious drinks, and the warm, friendly atmosphere that you can only find at Filmhuis Gouda.
Friday, November 20
7:30 p.m. - *Camembert* (opening film)
The festive opening film of the first edition of the Filmhuis Gouda Festival is one to savor. Not just because of the film’s title, but of course because of the film itself as well. In addition to the official welcome, there will also be snacks and drinks throughout the evening.
Saturday, November 21
11:00 a.m. - Nagi Notes (Koji Fukada, Japan)
The underlying tensions of everyday life in Japan, poignantly captured through the masterful lens of director Koji Fukada. A subtle and moving film about friendship, art, memory, and the search for a place within the social codes of Japanese society.
1:45 p.m. - *On the Sea* (Helen Walsh, Great Britain)
A compelling drama about the relationship between mussel fisherman Jack and the new seasonal worker Daniel, between whom a special and unexpected attraction develops. This forces Jack to confront something he has kept hidden for years. This understated love story is the second feature film by British director and writer Helen Walsh, who also wrote the screenplay.
4:30 p.m. - * * (Christian Mungiu, * * Norway/Romania)
Mihal and Lisbet move with their children to Norway, to a remote corner of the world in a secluded fjord. Deeply religious as they are, they raise their children in a conservative manner. This soon clashes with the much more modern village where they have settled. *Fjord* deservedly won the Palme d’Or at this year’s Cannes Film Festival and features brilliant performances by Sebastian Stan (*A Different Man*) and Renate Reinsve (*Sentimental Value*).
8:30 p.m. - Mouse ( Kelly O’Sullivan, Alex Thompson, United States)
An impressive film about loss and mutual support. When the lives of two friends are suddenly and violently torn apart, a special yet complicated bond forms between a mother and a daughter. With humor, warmth, and an eye for what remains unsaid, the directing duo Kelly O’Sullivan and Alex Thompson tell a subtle and emotional story about loss and friendship.
Sunday, November 22: European Arthouse Cinema Day
On Sunday, you’ll get a taste of the very best that European cinema has to offer this coming season. Four brand-new films that are set to take theaters across Europe by storm in the coming months—but at the Filmhuis Gouda Festival, you’ll be among the very first in the Netherlands to have the chance to see them on the big screen.
11:00 a.m. - Time and Water ( Sara Dosa, Iceland)
An epic and exceptionally compelling documentary by Sara Dosa, the director of the Oscar-nominated *Fire of Love*, about the life of Icelandic writer Andri Magnason. His life is shaped by profound changes, memories, time, and water. Andri’s poignant words, combined with the stunning imagery captured by Dosa and her team, come together to form a loving family portrait and a powerful letter to the future.
1:30 p.m. - Minotaur (Andrey Zvyagintsev, France/Latvia)
The much-discussed Russian director Andrey Zvyagintsev returns with a scathing political thriller about the seemingly hollow shell of a certain newly wealthy Russian class in the run-up to the inevitable war in Ukraine. Winner of the Grand Prix at the Cannes Film Festival.
4:45 p.m. - Heysel 85 ( Teodora Anna Mihai, Netherlands/Belgium/Germany)
Do you remember where you were when that terrible tragedy unfolded at the Heysel Stadium in Brussels? You were probably watching the European Cup final between Liverpool and Juventus on TV. And even if you weren’t a soccer fan, you saw the horrific images flash across the news later that evening. That’s the kind of event it was. The Heysel tragedy: do you remember where you were?
8:00 p.m. - Camembert (Matthieu Rumani & Nicolas Slomka, France)
A sharp and humorous French film with a fantastic lead performance by Kristin Scott Thomas. Stan meets his girlfriend Cléo’s wealthy family for the first time. Everything seems perfect—until the group decides to play a game of Trivial Pursuit. Then the evening spirals completely out of control. The perfect way to wrap up the film festival.
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End: 20:00p.m.
