Das war das lustige Leben

Synopsis

Klompen Jan, the 81 year old ‘godfather’ of Dutch trailer travelers, is among the last to still travel around in his camper, despite obstructions by the authorities. As his generation of travelers decreases, the Paridaans family came to feel attracted to the old trailers. They decided to build one and to travel around in a recreational way. Moreover, they joined an association that wants to keep the ‘joyful life of gypsies’ alive by showing it to the public. These two stories reveal the contrast between the cherished folklore and hard reality of trailer travelers.

Credits

Camera: Florenz van de Vijver
Sound: Mark Thur
Production, Research, Scenario, Direction, Editing: Harko Wubs
Sound design: Mark Thur
Advice: John Appel
Poster: Hans Wubs

Screenings

-Omroep Brabant.
-Filmfestival FEST (Por)
-Golden Wheel Filmfestival (MK)
-Arthouses and filmclubs (NL / GER)
-Premiered at BROET (NL / 2011)

Watch ‘Das war das lustige Leben’ at Cinemakers here. 

Production

Documentary (HD), colour 16:9, 38 minutes, Dutch, subtitled in English and Dutch. Produced by Zaaigrond Filmproducties.
Financed by BKKC (Province of Brabant) and Prins Bernhard Cultuurfonds.

Watch an excerpt: