HollyShorts Film Festival / Revolution Me Film Festival 2019 – Thin Ice
The lost-and-found booth attendant of a local ice skating rink grows increasingly nervous upon noticing a man with a suspicious backpack on the other side of the rink.
Interview with Writer/Director Joosje Duk
Watch Thin Ice here:
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
Thin Ice is a short film about society’s growing fear of terrorist attacks and the impact that has on everyday life. In this day and age, whenever we see someone with a backpack behaving ‘suspiciously’ in a public space, we immediately freak out, even though there’s almost always nothing to worry about. Then why are we still so fearful? And how does this fear manifest itself? Those are questions asked in Thin Ice.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
Following the wave of terrorism that has occurred in Europe recently, there exists a heightened level of fear for potential terrorist attacks in the Netherlands. Unfortunately, this often results in prejudicial discrimination against Muslims. Thin Ice challenges the audience to think about their own prejudice in regards to this situation. The viewer experiences the fear of the lead character and then has the opportunity to catch him/herself on their own discriminatory prejudices.
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
Thin Ice explores the fears I myself experienced in public spaces and aims to do so without judgement. When doing research for the film, my producers and I noticed that many people share similar fears of terrorist attacks potentially happening in crowded spaces, but most are ashamed to admit to this. The film gives a face to the fear while at the same time exposing its irrational aspects.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?
The film has surreal elements, which weren't part of the earlier drafts of the script. The producers and I noticed that a crucial part of telling this story was to truly take the audience inside the mind of the protagonist, which asked for a more surreal approach.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
Audiences have been very generous! People have praised the film for its nuanced storytelling and fearless tackling of the themes presented. The ending of the film is the most experimental part, which audiences are most divided on.
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
The feedback has inspired us to keep on going! It has been interesting to see that some people love our experimental ending, while others would have liked to see a more straightforward final scene. We love this though, as nobody is indifferent about the project and the ending led to many interesting discussions.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
We would love to screen the film at more festivals before releasing it online eventually and to hear whether people connect to the premise of the film as well as its themes.
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
Buyers, distributors, film festival directors and journalists who can spread awareness about the film!
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
We would love for this film to be a conversation starter about society's fear of terrorist attacks and the impact it has on our everyday lives.
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
What would you have done if you were in our protagonist's situation? Have you ever been fearful of a terrorist attack potentially happening in a similar context? If so, what did you do? Would you behave the same after seeing the film?
What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?
I am in post-production for my first 8 episode web series titled Fitgirls, which follows the adventures of three young women in a place we all love to hate: the gym.
Interview: October 2019
We Are Moving Stories embraces new voices in drama, documentary, animation, TV, web series, music video, women's films, LGBTQIA+, POC, First Nations, scifi, supernatural, horror, world cinema. If you have just made a film - we'd love to hear from you. Or if you know a filmmaker - can you recommend us? More info: Carmela
Thin Ice
The lost-and-found booth attendant of a local ice skating rink grows increasingly nervous upon noticing a man with a suspicious backpack on the other side of the rink.
Length: 10:30
Director: Joosje Duk
Producer: Tamar Guttmann
Writer: Joosje Duk
About the writer, director and producer:
JOOSJE DUK is a Dutch filmmaker whose short Night, a drama about micro-aggressions, won the HuffPost Arts Impact Award. Joosje’s next short film Thin Ice, about society’s fear of terrorist attacks, played at the Oscar-qualifying Hamptons and Atlanta Film Festival. Joosje is in early development for her feature screenplay Sunshowers, a film exploring mental health through the eyes of a teen girl in a surreal town who loses her sight of color.
TAMAR GUTTMANN is a Dutch producer of lm and music, active in the social impact community, collaborating with companies like Acumen and Cornerstone Capital. Tamar studies Producing and Social Entrepreneurship at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts.
Key cast: Achmed Akkabi (Rink), Claire Bender (Girl), Youssef Rekik (Little Boy)
Looking for: film festival directors, journalists, distributors, sales agents
Facebook: Joosje Duk
Twitter: @joosjeduk
Instagram: @joosjeduk
Hashtags used: #thinice
Website: www.joosjeduk.com/thin-ice
Other: Vimeo
Made in association with:
Funders: Dutch Crowdfunding platform CineCrowd, grants from the Netherlands Film Festival, Prince Bernhard Culture Fund, Fund Z.O.Z., Dutch Ministry of Justice and Security
Where can I watch it next and in the coming month? We just played at the Revolution Me Film Festival and are waiting to hear back from upcoming film festivals.