Bon Voyage, Photo: Courtesy of the artist
Wednesday, October 12, 2011 at 9:30PM
Sequoia Theatre – Mill Valley, CA
Thursday, October 13, 2011 at 4:00PM
Smith Rafael Film Center – San Rafael, CA
In Dutch with English subtitles. The unsinkable Dutch Verbeek clan prepares for a family holiday to France for that anticipated escape from the ordinary. But their “bonvoyage” is abruptly sidetracked by news that Grandpa Bob is gravely ill, leading to an altogether different, more subdued journey from which an unexpectedly rich story emerges. As the family settles into a staycation, sullen teenager Anouk refuses to let the change of plans sidetrack her stealth mission to lose her virginity; son Jochem quickly learns about the tenuous ties of friendship; and the youngest, Jasmijn, soberly accepts what everyone else fears the most, boldly traversing with Grandpa Bob the delicate line between life and death with frankness, heart and a surprising amount of humor. Margien Rogaar’s understated style is an invitation to settle in with the Verbeek family, in this heartfelt film about coming of age, mortality and the ties that bind.
