Like subtitles or not, foreign film is getting more press than it ever has before. Take it from me, a guy that grew up in rural Pennsylvania...when you're visiting home and you see more than a half dozen foreign films in the new release section at the local video store, it's on the rise. It's a good thing too since foreign films often give us insight into the artistry of other cultures both similar and different to our own. Moreover, it''s not often that you get the chance to pick the brain of an actress/director as diversely experienced as Monique van de Ven whose been in an Oscar nominated film (Turkish Delight 1973), an Oscar winner (The Assault 1982), and a worked extensively in both American and Dutch film. Lucky for me, she was in Seattle promoting her new film Summer Heat (or "Zomerhitte" if you prefer) with dutch movie stars Sophie Hilbrand and Waldemar Torenstra and took some time to give me her opinion on art house, European affairs, and making it in the film industry.
So you’ve had a really impressive track record in the film industry…what’s taken you so long to finally direct a movie?
Monique: Even back during Turkish Delight (1973) I always told myself that I’d end up behind the camera. Then when I was living in LA I took a lot of acting and directing classes at UCLA. I actually have been directing for many years, I’ve done some (film) shorts and some work for television. I eventually left LA because I didn’t want to become the girl always playing the foreign character, the little Dutch girl with the cute braids or the German spy or something and those were the only kind of roles I was getting offered. So I moved back to my home where I could do a lot more as an artist. But anyway, this is my first full length film.
It’s interesting you bring up Turkish Delight. Because I read that the same author (Jan Wolkers) who wrote that story also wrote the book you based your current film on, and actually died during post production. Was he a pretty famous author in the Netherlands?
Monique: Yeah really, really famous on of the big ones…
Waldemar: One of the, what we call, big five. There’s only two of the big five left now.
Monique: Not just a writer, he was a painter, a sculptor, but always famous for pushing the people’s values. He was offensive, no, controversial. He became really famous for this in the 70s.
Sophie: He made this sculpture that was supposed to go in a town square in the Netherlands but it got, he was…(looking for the right words, looks to Waldemar)
Waldemar: Right, right, he was on this talk show and they started talking about this woman he used to have do crazy sexual things with him and his wife, like the three of them…and the town decided to refuse the sculpture, they cancelled it.
There’s a good chance that would happen here too you know.
Monique: Well yeah, anyway, we remained friends all those years and kept in touch and so when I was doing the film we changed some things and he was always calling to see how things were going and how the film was looking so I would send it to him. He would call like every week or every two weeks. Then I sent him some footage of the owls (there’s a freaky scene with some owls in the movie) because he was asking how we did that one and I never heard back. So when I checked to see what he thought I found out he was in hospital for an infection and one thing led to another and a few weeks later he died.
Is Europe beginning to become more united in making films with the EU strengthening?
Monique: We tried but we’re all different, it doesn’t work. The difference between Dutch people and Spanish…or even Belgian people only 2 hours away is completely different.
Globally speaking then, where’s the hotspot for film?
Waldmar: There’s a lot of great stuff coming out of Mexico…
Monique: Yeah Mexico…but Europe is doing a lot of great work right now. French film is back, German film, gosh I haven’t seen anything good out of Germany for over 10 years and now all of a sudden there are many great films, Denmark is great…there’s actually a lot of support from the government there, twice as much as in the Netherlands.
Waldemar: It has a lot to do with a new generation too.
Monique: The new generation is bringing lots of new ideas to film and new ways of seeing old things but all European countries are investing in their films more, and that’s great.
Well you don’t always need a big budget to make a good film. Sometimes a budget requires you to be more creative.
Monique: That’s true as long as it doesn’t become a rule…but money can sometimes change a director’s film into a producer’s film.
That’s interesting, I never heard it put like that before but it makes a lot of sense.
Monique: But technology has changed so much too. It’s not so farfetched that someone can make a film with their friends on a very small budget. But as soon as you have a big hit from a small budget, every investor is asking you why you film or all films can’t be shot that way, they’re like “see what they did” and are pointing at it. It can’t work that for everyone.
Waldemar: Dutch people are actually really interested in art house films; they kind of have this idea, stick their noses up, at mainstream film.
What’s Dutch art house like?
Waldemar: Well…our stuff is heavy, weird, it’s in the soil…we’re a people who drained the sea to make our land so our independent film reflects that.
Once you finish promoting Summer Heat, what are you up to next?
Monique: I’m back working television; a show about four women making a magazine. And then I have a movie coming up next spring with Sophie again.
Sophie: We’re talking about a possible mother/daughter role.
What kind of advice would you give an aspiring director, or anyone else who wants to be in the film industry?
Monique: Film, film, film, film, film, film, film! Film everything. If you have a story, a vision, get your friends together and make it happen every weekend until you get it done! You also have to have a lot of courage and stamina…Well, that’s true of everything in life. Life is about having stamina!
Sophie: By now, you should have a really original YouTube.
Waldemar: You should also think about your intentions, why you want to do it. Is it for fame, cause that’s not going to last if it even happens at all.
Monique: Yeah, it doesn’t last…fame doesn’t last, passion lasts.
(to Monique) Man, you’re just full of these zen-style revelations, aren’t you?
Laugher from all three.
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