Buladó selected to open NFF

3 August 2020

Buladó by Eché Janga will celebrate its world premiere as the opening film of the Netherlands Film Festival (NFF - Nederlands Film Festival). The 40th edition of the festival kicks off 25 September.

Director Eché Janga wrote the script for Buladó together with Esther Duysker. The film is produced by Amsterdam-based Keplerfilm of Koji Nelissen and Derk-Jan Warrink, who have worked on award-winning films such as The Lobster (Yorgos Lanthimos), Bullhead (Michaël R. Roskam), Blind (Eskil Vogt) and Monos (Alejandro Landes). Buladó is co-produced with NTR and has been supported by the Netherlands Film Fund, Netherlands Film Production Incentive and CoBo Fund.

Buladó is Eché Janga's second feature. His first feature film Helium (2014) world premiered at the Rotterdam International Film Festival and won two Golden Calves, the national film awards that are handed out each year during the NFF.

Buladó tells the magical-realistic and heartwarming story of a small family in the countryside of Curaçao. As the different mentalities of rational father Ouira and spiritual grandfather Weljo start to clash, eleven-year-old Kenza is determined to find her own path into adult life. The story is partly based on a local slave folktale that was passed down orally through generations. By bringing the tale to the cinema filmmaker Eché Janga and screenwriter Esther Duysker wanted to continue the oral tradition.

Headstrong girl Kenza lives with her father Ouira and grandfather Weljo on a car wrecking yard in the countryside of Curaçao. The two men are opposites that don't particularly attract: Ouira is a determined and rational police officer, while Weljo identifies with the original inhabitants and spirituality of the island. As Weljo wishes to prepare his passing to the world of spirits, the relationship between Ouira en Weljo starts to escalate and the eleven-year-old Kenza searches for her own path in-between the two extremes. The down-to-earth and avoidant mentality of Ouira no longer offers her all that she needs and slowly she opens up to the more mystical and comforting traditions of her grandfather.
Trailer Buladó: https://youtu.be/R0mUJwLRtbo

The 40th edition of the NFF will take place in a hybrid physical and online format from 25 September - 3 October: www.filmfestival.nl

For more information:

Keplerfilm
Esther Schmidt
Ph: +31 6 27 09 42 12‬
hello@keplerfilm.com
www.keplerfilm.com