Every year on the 4th of May at exactly 8.00 p.m. traffic stops, and people gather or sit alone in 2 minutes of silence to commemorate the many deaths of the 2nd World War. Still many people, young and old, take part in this ritual, in a country where sorrow is not openly expressed.
In this documentary film Heddy Honingmann, who previously made films in her native South America (Metal and Melancholy, O Amor Natural), is dealing for the first time with the core of the Dutch character. From early morning till eight at night she accompanies (assisted by 12 filmcrews) several women and men during this day and aptly shows us the (often unspoken) impression of their memories, finally culminating in a grand finale of silence.
- Director: Heddy Honigmann
- Camera: Maarten Kramer a.o.
- Sound: Nosh van der Lely a.o.
- Length: 87 min.
- Format: 35 mm, Digi Beta and Beta SP
- Premiere: the Netherlands Film Festival 1998
- Produced by: Pieter van Huystee Film & TV and NPS
- Distribution: PublicFilm