Film voor Salvador

When Ramón Gieling's son Salvador was born, the director was making a film about the way Mexicans deal with death. In this Film for Salvador (Salvadòr, not Sàlvador, as the boy stresses), new life and death meet, accompanied by the voice-over of Gieling and of his son. Death plays a key role in Gieling's oeuvre, as is clear from excerpts from films like Heimwee naar de dood. Little Salvador still seems to be unaware of death; he watches the bullfight and fails to understand why people would oppose it. Gieling shows footage of Salvador together with people who have meanwhile died, for example of Salvador sitting in his grandmother's lap. And he incorporates a farewell interview with his friend, filmmaker Johan van der Keuken, a week and a half before the latter's decease.