Films, talks & events
W.F. Hermans on Film
10 September — 1 October 2021
Als twee druppels water (1963) is undoubtedly the most controversial Hermans adaptation, however, director Fons Rademakers was far from the only one in Dutch cinema history to attempt to film the author’s work.
Willem Frederik Hermans is one of the Netherlands’ most famous post-war authors. It will be his 100th anniversary on 1 September 2021 and this will be celebrated across the country with exhibitions and publications. Eye will be participating by screening all the adaptations of his work by Dutch filmmakers.
In 1967, Adriaan Ditvoorst adapted Hermans’ Paranoia in nouvelle vague style, garnering much praise abroad. Six years later, Ditvoorst again chose a Hermans book, the novel De blinde fotograaf, as the basis for a medium-length, eponymous adaptation.
Finally screening again
Erik van Zuylen decided to adapt Hermans’ short story "De elektriseermachine van Wimshurst" (1977). An interesting detail is that Hermans was allowed to provide the script, probably to reduce the number of conflicts with the notoriously exacting author. Van Zuylen’s film hasn’t been screened in a very long time, all the more reason to pull the work from the archives for Hermans’ 100th anniversary.
The most recent Hermans adaptation was the international production Beyond Sleep (2016) by Boudewijn Koole, an idiosyncratic adaptation of Nooit meer slapen. The film will be screened alongside the short experimental film Souvenir uit Afrika (2002) after Hermans’ short story "Zijn god was een mens".
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