Marinier 37020 - Graduation Project
2018
Research, editing, image directing

Marinier 37020 served for two years as a marine to protect the country from the former Dutch Indies from being taken back by its original inhabitants. He didn't know what would happen, where he was sent-of to, and how the country he only heard the most amazing stories about was in real. 

This short documentary tells this story. A story based on letters my grandfather wrote to his parents, the marine magazines he collected, and stories told by the Dutch government.

This film is a visual conversation between the subjective and the objective. It makes you, as the viewer, think about what you think is trustworthy and who you believe in the first place. The stories being told don't have to be true. There is always a different perspective.
Marinier 37020 is my granddad. After his return, he thought he fought for the good. People in the Netherlands thought differently. He was refused to talk about anything that happened and he never did. Listening to this film, you hear me reading a letter I wrote to him. He never answered any questions.

This project contains images and film footage from the Dutch Ministery of Defense in The Hague and Bronbeek Museum in Arnhem. The music is made by Simon Leferink & Sjoerd de Buck.