Holland Focus
@hollandfocus.co.uk
Film review website. Links: hollandfocus.co.uk | boxd.it/3jSN | fb.me/HollandFocus | https://rb.gy/wewave
Dutch director Bart Schrijver's new film has been shortlisted for the European Film Awards. More info:
The North (Bart Schrijver, 2025)
The North , the new feature film from Dutch director-producer Bart Schrijver, has been shortlisted for the European Film Awards. The film h...
www.hollandfocus.co.uk
November 3, 2025 at 9:34 AM
Dutch director Bart Schrijver's new film has been shortlisted for the European Film Awards. More info:
Our final review from this year's #LFF is of a film centring on the Guinea-Bissau war of independence:
Those Whom Death Refused (Flora Gomes, 1988)
Bissau-Guinean filmmaker Flora Gomes' Those Whom Death Refused (original title: Mortu Nega ), which screens in a restored print on Saturday...
www.hollandfocus.co.uk
October 17, 2025 at 9:34 AM
Our final review from this year's #LFF is of a film centring on the Guinea-Bissau war of independence:
Basque director Ion de Sosa's haunting, cryptic film will be screening tomorrow at the #LFF. Our review:
Balearic (Ion de Sosa, 2025)
Saint John’s Eve provides the backdrop for Basque director Ion de Sosa's Balearic , which screens tomorrow at the BFI London Film Festiva...
www.hollandfocus.co.uk
October 13, 2025 at 7:46 AM
Basque director Ion de Sosa's haunting, cryptic film will be screening tomorrow at the #LFF. Our review:
Belgian actress Veerle Baetens stars in a new TV series, the first two episodes of which will screen today at the #LFF. Our review: www.hollandfocus.co.uk/2025/10/the-...
The Deal (Jean-Stéphane Bron, 2025)
The Deal is a six-part TV series that tells the story of the 2015 US-Iran nuclear negotiations, which took place in the very neutral state ...
www.hollandfocus.co.uk
October 12, 2025 at 7:12 AM
Belgian actress Veerle Baetens stars in a new TV series, the first two episodes of which will screen today at the #LFF. Our review: www.hollandfocus.co.uk/2025/10/the-...
Galician director Óliver Laxe's searing new film is a highlight of this year's #LFF. Our review:
Sirāt (Óliver Laxe, 2025)
As with Galician director Óliver Laxe's previous film, Fire Will Come , his latest effort, Sirāt , will screen at the BFI IMAX as part of th...
www.hollandfocus.co.uk
October 11, 2025 at 9:27 AM
Galician director Óliver Laxe's searing new film is a highlight of this year's #LFF. Our review:
Our #LFF coverage continues with a review of a documentary on eccentric neuroscientist John Lilly:
John Lilly and the Earth Coincidence Control Office (2025)
Michael Almereyda and Courtney Stephens' documentary John Lilly and the Earth Coincidence Control Office , which was selected for this year'...
www.hollandfocus.co.uk
October 9, 2025 at 8:25 AM
Our #LFF coverage continues with a review of a documentary on eccentric neuroscientist John Lilly:
The #LFF gets underway today, and our first review from this year's festival is now up:
Fwends (Sophie Somerville, 2025)
Fwends , the debut feature from Australian filmmaker Sophie Somerville, follows twentysomething friends Em (Emmanuelle Mattana) and Jessie (...
www.hollandfocus.co.uk
October 8, 2025 at 8:12 AM
The #LFF gets underway today, and our first review from this year's festival is now up:
This Belgian co-production depicts a budding novelist's often perilous journey through the underbelly of London. Our review:
Sebastian (Mikko Mäkelä, 2024)
Directed by the Finnish-British filmmaker Mikko Mäkelä ( A Moment in the Reeds ), this uneven Belgian co-production depicts a budding noveli...
www.hollandfocus.co.uk
September 30, 2025 at 9:16 AM
This Belgian co-production depicts a budding novelist's often perilous journey through the underbelly of London. Our review:
Daniel Oriahi's film deals in familiar horror tropes as it delves into the complex dynamics of in-law relationships. Our review:
The Weekend (Daniel Oriahi, 2024)
The Weekend played at last year's Slash Film Festival and has since enjoyed no less than three screenings at the 2024 London Film Festival,...
www.hollandfocus.co.uk
September 17, 2025 at 8:01 AM
Daniel Oriahi's film deals in familiar horror tropes as it delves into the complex dynamics of in-law relationships. Our review:
This starkly beautiful documentary follows the life of a young Orthodox nun. Our review:
Mother Vera (Cécile Embleton / Alys Tomlinson, 2024)
The legendary French director Robert Bresson had a profound relationship with spirituality that ran through his films, which often explored ...
www.hollandfocus.co.uk
September 4, 2025 at 8:00 AM
This starkly beautiful documentary follows the life of a young Orthodox nun. Our review:
The winner of Best UK Feature at this year's Raindance is about to begin its theatrical rollout. Our review:
Row (Matthew Losasso, 2025)
Matthew Losasso’s feature debut Row received its world premiere at the 2025 Raindance Film Festival, where it proceeded to win the award f...
www.hollandfocus.co.uk
August 20, 2025 at 8:06 AM
The winner of Best UK Feature at this year's Raindance is about to begin its theatrical rollout. Our review:
Chantal Akerman's final narrative feature is an exemplary meditation on the death rattle of colonialism. Our review:
Almayer's Folly (Chantal Akerman, 2011)
Almayer's Folly , directed by the late Belgian filmmaker Chantal Akerman and first released in 2011, is a highly atmospheric and contemplati...
www.hollandfocus.co.uk
August 13, 2025 at 9:18 AM
Chantal Akerman's final narrative feature is an exemplary meditation on the death rattle of colonialism. Our review:
Chantal Akerman's striking film is a highly effective adaptation of Marcel Proust's study of obsessive control. Our review:
The Captive (Chantal Akerman, 2000)
First released in 2000, Chantal Akerman's The Captive is an updating of Marcel Proust's The Prisoner , the fifth volume of his epic novel ...
www.hollandfocus.co.uk
July 31, 2025 at 11:10 PM
Chantal Akerman's striking film is a highly effective adaptation of Marcel Proust's study of obsessive control. Our review:
Chantal Akerman's documentary invites the audience to consider hate crimes and their lasting impact. Our review:
South (Chantal Akerman, 1999)
Belgian filmmaker Chantal Akerman's documentary South , which premiered in 1999, centres on racial violence in the southern US. The film ex...
www.hollandfocus.co.uk
July 28, 2025 at 8:56 AM
Chantal Akerman's documentary invites the audience to consider hate crimes and their lasting impact. Our review:
The late Belgian filmmaker Chantal Akerman's musical follows the romantic entanglements of various shopping mall staff. Our review:
Golden Eighties (Chantal Akerman, 1986)
Set almost entirely within the premises of a shopping centre, the late Belgian filmmaker Chantal Akerman's musical Golden Eighties follows ...
www.hollandfocus.co.uk
July 18, 2025 at 9:13 AM
The late Belgian filmmaker Chantal Akerman's musical follows the romantic entanglements of various shopping mall staff. Our review:
Chantal Akerman's poignant, life-affirming film is an idiosyncratic blend of documentary and musical. Our review:
The Eighties (Chantal Akerman, 1983)
Chantal Akerman's The Eighties , first released in 1983, is an experimental film that ostensibly offers a behind-the-scenes look at the Belg...
www.hollandfocus.co.uk
July 10, 2025 at 9:03 AM
Chantal Akerman's poignant, life-affirming film is an idiosyncratic blend of documentary and musical. Our review:
It has now been 10 years since the death of Belgian filmmaker Chantal Akerman. During July and August, we'll be looking at a selection of her work spanning five decades; the first review is now up:
De Afspraken van Anna (Chantal Akerman, 1978)
First released in 1975, Chantal Akerman's jaw-dropping masterpiece Jeanne Dielman, 23, quai du commerce, 1080 Bruxelles has since been vot...
www.hollandfocus.co.uk
July 3, 2025 at 8:05 AM
It has now been 10 years since the death of Belgian filmmaker Chantal Akerman. During July and August, we'll be looking at a selection of her work spanning five decades; the first review is now up:
A short story by Robert Louis Stevenson forms the basis of this Australian horror-comedy, which had its world premiere at this year's @raindance.org. Our review:
Raindance 2025: Snatchers (C. Alexander/S. Higgs, 2025)
This debut feature from husband-and-wife team Craig Alexander and Shelly Higgs received its world premiere on Saturday at the Raindance Film...
www.hollandfocus.co.uk
June 27, 2025 at 8:45 AM
A short story by Robert Louis Stevenson forms the basis of this Australian horror-comedy, which had its world premiere at this year's @raindance.org. Our review:
This homage to the work of horror icon Dario Argento premiered at this year's @raindance.org. Our review:
Raindance 2025: Saturnalia (Daniel Lerch, 2025)
Daniel Lerch's feature debut Saturnalia —which on Friday received its world premiere at the Raindance Film Festival —wears its influences on...
www.hollandfocus.co.uk
June 25, 2025 at 7:57 AM
This homage to the work of horror icon Dario Argento premiered at this year's @raindance.org. Our review:
This dazzling, innovative piece of experimenta is one of the highlights of this year's @raindance.org Film Festival #Raindance2025. Our review:
Raindance 2025: God Teeth (Robbie C. Williamson, 2025)
God Teeth , the debut feature by Robbie C. Williamson—AKA Double Diamond Sun Body—is a dazzling, innovative slice of experimental cinema, on...
www.hollandfocus.co.uk
June 23, 2025 at 8:23 AM
This dazzling, innovative piece of experimenta is one of the highlights of this year's @raindance.org Film Festival #Raindance2025. Our review:
This ambitious slow-burn horror is among the selections currently playing at @raindance.org. Our review:
Raindance 2025: Our Happy Place (Paul Bickel, 2024)
For his feature debut, the Raindance -selected Our Happy Place , Paul Bickel has proved to be an extremely hands-on filmmaker, and a brief...
www.hollandfocus.co.uk
June 20, 2025 at 8:22 AM
This ambitious slow-burn horror is among the selections currently playing at @raindance.org. Our review:
The sequel to one of 2023's best features will screen at this year's @raindance.org Film Festival #Raindance2025. Our review:
Raindance 2025: Dui Shaw (Nuhash Humayun, 2024)
Bangladeshi filmmaker Nuhash Humayun's horror anthology Pett Kata Shaw deservedly won Best International Feature at the 2023 Raindance Film...
www.hollandfocus.co.uk
June 18, 2025 at 8:59 AM
The sequel to one of 2023's best features will screen at this year's @raindance.org Film Festival #Raindance2025. Our review:
This year's Raindance Film Festival begins on Wednesday, and our first review is now up #Raindance2025 #Raindance
Raindance 2025: Hole (Dejan Babosek, 2024)
Hole , the new film from Dejan Babosek—whose previous features include WW2 tale Winter War and heist-gone-wrong flick Exit —screens at th...
www.hollandfocus.co.uk
June 16, 2025 at 8:35 AM
This year's Raindance Film Festival begins on Wednesday, and our first review is now up #Raindance2025 #Raindance
Leos Carax's magnificent, striking essay film is an experimental piece that delves into the mind of its elusive maker. Our review:
It's Not Me (Leos Carax, 2024)
Leos Carax's magnificent, striking essay film It's Not Me is an experimental piece that delves into the mind of its elusive maker; one of c...
www.hollandfocus.co.uk
May 19, 2025 at 7:58 AM
Leos Carax's magnificent, striking essay film is an experimental piece that delves into the mind of its elusive maker. Our review:
Cannes begins tomorrow, and this year's festival includes a number of features backed by International Film Festival Rotterdam's Hubert Bals Fund:
Cannes 2025: IFFR-Backed Selections
A spread of films and talent presented at IFF Rotterdam's CineMart and backed by the Hubert Bals Fund are once again a fixture of the Cannes...
www.hollandfocus.co.uk
May 12, 2025 at 8:14 AM
Cannes begins tomorrow, and this year's festival includes a number of features backed by International Film Festival Rotterdam's Hubert Bals Fund: