director
QUEER GAZE
As a queer filmmaker I focus on creating LGBTQ+ characters and storylines that are nuanced and realistic. I aim for positive representation and empowering narratives.
I want to portray people in a layered way, as they are, and I would like to show how liberating it is to think outside of gender boundaries. I feel a big responsibility to show independent and vulnerable characters with a focus on their strengths and flaws. People who are searching for their (gender) identity, gender expression and sexual orientation, following their own path with pride and self-love.
photos by Tengbeh Kamara
BIOGRAPHY
I was raised in a small village in Limburg, in the South of The Netherlands. There was a lot of space to climb in trees and so I did. My ultimate power moment in my youth was the day a few kids came to me at the schoolyard to ask me to mediate a quarrel between to others. I still can't stand injustice.
When I was a teenager I took my parents' video camera and started directing documentaries. I found out about a school named the Film Academy and there my ultimate goal was set.
Being gay in the early 00's in Limburg felt quite isolating. Luckily the computer was just invented. I spent my days becoming an expert in sobbing on Tumblr and searching secret sapphic content on the internet.
Working and living in Amsterdam it all came together. I realized I could use my ambition in filmmaking to help myself and others to be who they really are. And help the people remember to be kind to each other and our planet.
HOW I LIKE TO WORK
I believe a creative process flows when everybody involved feels good. I see filmmaking as a team effort in which every team member can add something very valuable when you keep open to each other.
I don't like strict and hierarchical rules. I don't like dominant people who aren't considerate of others. Every crew member is important to the project. I prefer to look at collaboration as a division of tasks, not a vertical hierarchy. I want everyone to treat each other with respect.
I find it very important to create a safe space, for crew as well as cast. Acting or creating is a vulnerable process. I believe when everybody feels safe and free, we can work with our hearts, and that will definitely reflect onto the screen.
