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Twin sisters Louise and Martine Fokkens have been familiar faces in the Amsterdam red-light district for almost 50 years. Louise has quit, but Martine is still behind the window. Candid documentary about the glee, the secrets and the drawbacks of the trade.

Louise and Martine Fokkens are identical twins of 69. For nearly half a century, they worked behind the windows of the Amsterdam red-light district together. In these years, they saw ‘their’ Wallen change into a tourist attraction where big-shot criminals hold sway and the competition grows ever younger and comes from farther away. Rheumatism forced Louise to quit, but Martine is still in the business. For this candid documentary, the remarkable twins were followed for a year. The result is a glimpse of a world where love is for sale and the curtains are usually closed. What are the secrets and codes of the metier? Between the comic reliefs and anecdotes, more awkward questions urge themselves. What is it like to sell your body all your life? And what does it mean to grow older: as a hooker, but obviously also as a woman?

Credits

Sound editing
Production company
Submarine Film
TV company
VPRO TV
Distributor NL
A-Film Distribution

Title: Ouwehoeren
Year: 2011
Duration : 1 hour, 18 minutes
Category: Long Documentary
Edition: NFF 2012

Sociaal maatschappelijk

Gouden Kalf nominees

Other awards

Kristallen Film (10.000 bezoekers documentaire) (2011)

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.