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This thriller is based on a script by Hugo Claus, who reworked his own short story. Leading character is Thomas (13), who sees how a new man receives his mother's affection after his father's decease and who also falls in love himself for the first time. In his pocket, the tense boy carries a stolen oriental knife that he uses symbolically as a weapon against his mother's detested friend, his girlfriend and later even against his mother. The film was nominated for a Golden Palm in Cannes.

Title: Het mes
Year: 1961
Duration : 1 hour, 29 minutes
Category: Feature film
Edition: NFF 2003

NFF Archive

You are now in the NFF Archive. The archive contains contains information on film, TV and interactive productions that were screened at past festival editions. The NFF does not dispose of this material. For this, please contact the producer, distributor or broadcaster. Sometimes, older films can also be found at the Eye Film Museum or the Netherlands Institute for Sound and Vision.