65 Years of the Film Academy: Milou Gevers

The Film Academy turns 65 this year! To celebrate this landmark anniversary, Eye Filmmuseum has been given access to every graduation film ever made, right from the very start back in 1958 – some of these films haven’t been screened since then. The films will be incorporated into the Eye collection over the next few years, and a selection of them can be seen on the Eye Film Player. We spoke to some of the makers. Milou Gevers graduated in 2020 with her film Waarom bleef je niet voor mij? (Why Didn’t You Stay for Me?).

By Michael Oudman25 June 2024

What did the Filmacademie teach you?

“A lot. Before I went to the Film Academy I studied anthropology. So after that, I had a lot of knowledge, but I didn’t really know what to do with it. The Film Academy gave me the skills to put this knowledge to use. As a child, I was in a film club in my neighbourhood where I started making films, with a little 90s camera; but because I saw from my parents that, as well as fun, the creative professions are also tough and insecure, for a long time I didn’t consider it an option to do something creative myself. But by the time I finished studying anthropology, I was ready for some adventure, so I went to the Film Academy. In the beginning, I learned so many rules associated with filmmaking and I wanted to follow them all, so I only made really boring things. After taking a year out I was able to let that go, and that’s how I made Waarom bleef je niet voor mij?”

Milou Gevers (© Derk-Jan van Dijk)

“In the beginning, I learned so many rules associated with filmmaking and I wanted to follow them all, so I only made really boring things.”

Milou Gevers

You seem to like breaking taboos.

“It’s not intentional. I made Waarom bleef je niet voor mij? ten years after my mother passed away, and during those ten years I hardly thought about her death at all. The film meant a great deal to me and my family. For the film, I started to wonder whether I resemble my mother; whether I could also become depressed or manic. And whether I should be a mother myself. Finally, the film gave me the scope to be less afraid, and so now I have a daughter. During the same period, I read the book by Orna Dornath, which meant I was able to make Spijtmoeders. My films are really more about parent-child relationships, rather than about taboos.”

Watch online

Watch Waarom bleef je niet voor mij? (Why Didn’t You Stay for Me?) for free on the Eye Film Player.

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still from Waarom bleef je niet voor mij? (Milou Gevers, NL 2020)

still Waarom bleef je niet voor mij? (Milou Gevers, NL 2020)

Directed or fly-on-the-wall?

“I use a lot of animation in my films, and that has to be directed. I also like it that, as a maker, you can tell the story, and direct where it goes.”

If documentaries were banned by the new government, what would you do?

“One thing I really like about making documentaries is interviewing, so then for example I’d like to write. Or I’d like to teach people about conversational techniques and methods for communicating, that really interests me. I’d love to be able to interrogate everyone in everyday life, but it’s more appropriate to adhere to the social codes of the back-and-forth conversation.”

still from In Kropsdam is iedereen gelukkig (Joren Molter, NL 2016)

still In Kropsdam is iedereen gelukkig (Joren Molter, NL 2016)

Eye Film Player

The Nederlandse Filmacademie will celebrate its 65th anniversary this year. Stream a special selection of graduation films from 65 years of Film Academy history. A new film is added every month.

Visit the Eye Film Player