Een fijn gesprek met Matthijs van Heijningen & Guurtje Buddenberg

In 1974, Matthijs van Heijningen set up his independent production company Sigma Pictures, with Guurtje Buddenberg as senior vice-president. Sigma produced successful films such as Orlando and The Tango Lesson (Sally Potter) and Eline Vere (Harry Kümel), and was always looking to give an opportunity to up-and-coming filmmakers. Sigma was also the supplier of high-quality Dutch feminist features, entering into long-term collaborations with makers such as Nouchka van Brakel, Marleen Gorris and Frouke Fokkema – in an era dominated by male filmmakers.

Sigma also produced films such as Een vlucht regenwulpen and In de schaduw van de overwinning (Ate de Jong), Ciske de Rat and Op hoop van zegen (Guido Pieters), Het debuut, Een vrouw als Eva, Van de koele meren des doods and Een maand later (Nouchka van Brakel), De stilte rond Christine M. and Gebroken spiegels (Marleen Gorris), Kracht and Wildgroei (Frouke Fokkema), as well as De lift (Dick Maas).

Sigma also worked with directors Herbert Curiël, Theo van Gogh, Theu Boermans and Gerrit van Elst. Van Heijningen picked up Golden Calves for Best Film for 1000 Rosen (Theu Boermans), De lift, De stilte rond Christine M. and Kracht. In 1999, Van Heijningen was awarded the Netherlands Film Festival’s Culture Prize; in the same year, he parodied himself in a cameo role in Eddy Terstall’s De boekverfilming.