This Wednesday we’ll be showing FANFARE. Directed by the first Dutch director to earn an Oscar (documentary short subject) for his jazzy short movie about glass-blowing, called GLAS, this humorous, quirky Dutch film from the 1950s is set in Giethoorn: a small rural town (and still a popular destination for vacationing Dutch people) where the main method of transport is per boat over its many canals. I visited a couple years ago, and it still looks pretty much exactly the same as in the film. Not because of some heavy-handed conservation effort, but simply because it has no reasons to change!This was actually the most visited Dutch film at the time of screening, although it’s unfortunately no longer as well known amongst younger people in the Netherlands. I’d say that if, as opposed to many British tourists visiting the Netherlands, you do wish to learn more about the Dutch than “coffee” shops and cheese, this is a good opportunity! Crafty, practical and a bit petty, this film captures the Dutch spirit better than most. The story is about an argument between two members of the local brass band, which draws the entire town into a chaotic conflict, made worse by a looming national brass band competition. The movie is filled with beautiful shots of the unique town, really showing the way of life in the rural Netherlands of the 1950s, and Haanstra’s humour is very contagious throughout.This fantastic example of Dutch cinema will be screened in HD.

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