BIGMAN
Genre
Family
Running time
89 minutes
Year
2022
Language
Dutch
Country
Netherlands and Germany
Director
Camiel Schouwenaar
Bio
Producer
Reinier Selen, Rinskje Raap
Cast
Maik Cillekens, Anouar Kasmi, Kailani Busker, Mohamed Tijani, Martijn Fischer, Maartje Van De Wetering, Walid Benmbarek, Soufiane Touzani
Scriptwriter
Job Tichelman, Camiel Schouwenaar
Twelve-year-old Dylan (Maike Cillekens) and his best friend Youssef (Anouar Kasmi) live, eat and breathe football. Every evening they train in the park, coached by Dylan’s gruff father Dennis (Martijn Fischer), their sights set on winning a cup awarded by their hero Soufiane Touzani, the charismatic Dutch-Moroccan freestyle footballer. Then Dylan is hit by a car, damaging his spinal cord, meaning he will never walk again. His traumatised refusal to accept this – he has a cup to win! – is heartbreaking for his dad and almost destroys his friendship with Youssef. Fortunately, skater girl Maya gives him hope; meanwhile, Touzani appears as a fantastical mentor, reminding him that when boyhood scoliosis prevented him from playing professional football, he found another way to live his dream. Director Camiel Schouwenaar gets the most from his young performers in this satisfying and often funny story of friendship, perseverance, creativity – and football.
Other movies
HUMAN TIDE
Director: David Ward
Each year, millions of Muslims embark on the sacred pilgrimage of Hajj. Documentary Human Tide provides an intimate look at this spiritual journey through the eyes of six diverse groups of pilgrims, each with personal reasons for making this once-in-a-lifetime trip. Among them are Yousef and his father Wasim from Sweden, who seek healing from mental health struggles. By weaving together their individual voices, the film offers a captivating portrait that reveals the profound transformations it sparks.
LOST LAND
Director: Akio Fujimoto
In this quietly powerful, first-ever Rohingya-language feature, Japanese filmmaker Akio Fujimoto offers a haunting, intimate portrait of two siblings fleeing persecution in Myanmar. With nothing but vague directions and each other, nine-year-old Somira and her younger brother Shafi begin a harrowing journey to join an uncle in Malaysia, crossing borders by sea and land and navigating a world shaped by smugglers, fear and exploitation. With a cast of non-professional actors, most of whom lived refugee experiences, the film blends realism with lyrical restraint. Eschewing melodrama for quiet observation, Fujimoto captures the disorientation of displacement and the uncertainty of fragile hopes. Lost Land is a timely, deeply human reflection on survival, resilience and the Rohingya’s eternal search for a place to call home.