Basalt Film

A unique perspective on three Western countries’ attempts to grapple with anxiety, depression and psychosis.

We follow neurosurgeons Clemens Dirven and Arnoud Vincent of the Erasmus MC in Rotterdam in this documentary during the treatment of three patients with a brain tumor.

At the end of the 1960s, Vanesa’s parents fled the Franco-regime’s deep poverty to pursue their dream in the Netherlands. Working their blue-collar jobs for hours and hours, for over 45 years, their purpose was to return to Spain wealthy and comfortable. There, in a house full of Dutch porcelain and shiny gold, they can now finally rest. Vanesa was raised as Dutch, but still feels trapped in their expectant illusion, even with the distance between them. Torn between two homes, she starts to re-examine her past.

De Beveiligers is a documentary which follows several security people making sure the public is safe.

A story slowly reveals itself: a spattering of campfires and makeshift tents is actually a caravan heading to the US border in search of safety and a new life. Silent images and fragments of touching conversations calmly direct the viewer’s attention to individual destinies. What seems so abstract and far away, suddenly becomes close and alive.

Noa Wildschut is 14 years old and is currently being considered the greatest young violin talent in the Netherlands. She played several times solo in the Concert Hall aswell as on foreign stages, and appeared several times on television. Noa is very close to Avigal, her sister who is one and a half year older. They visit the same school and have the same friends. Avigal also plays violin but is more ambitious in other areas: for example, she wants to graduate from high school early. Together with their parents Liora and Arjan, they are a close family. Father Arjan is alto violinist and mother Liora is violin pedagogue and the driving force behind the daughters' ambitions. 'A Family Quartet' follows this musical family for two years and highlights the unique relationships that arise from the exceptional talent of Noa. Simultaneously 'A Family Quartet' is also a coming of age film about two sensitive girls in puberty, each seeking their own path in life.

A year-long profile of the Artemis String Quartet. Just before celebrating its 30-year anniversary, the Berlin based Artemis Quartet goes through one of its most turbulent years to date. When the last founding member, cellist Eckart Runge, decides to leave the quartet in 2018, with second violinist Anthea Kreston following his departure, the quartet is shaken to its core. They agree to stay together until the end of the season, giving the remaining members the chance to reconstruct the quartet once more. Will the shared love for music be strong enough for the Artemis Quartet to persevere? Filmmaker Hester Overmars portrays the quartet, its former and new members, throughout this extraordinary year, having full access to their rehearsals, life behind the scenes and international performances. From up close, the film observes how the quartet lives through their reconstruction.

Filmmaker Aisha Roberson follows her brother Jennis (22) on his first uninhibited steps on the path of love. Methodically he searches for the perfect woman, with red lips. Jennis was born with Williams-Beuren syndrome, which manifests itself in him having perfect pitch, being mentally challenged and above-average social skills. In addition Jennis has an overpowering fascination for everything that spins. Will Jennis find a girl that suits him?

Debuting filmmaker Myrid Carten has been filming since she was a child, and when her mother goes missing, she picks up her camera again in response to this new crisis. Her mother Nuala, once a successful social worker, suffered a mental breakdown after the sudden death of her own mother. She shuffles between rehab clinics, psychiatric hospitals, and occasionally the street.