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Aap tot Aap

Director: Meike Schaapveld
Strong leaders command their emotions. Or do they? In this cinematic experiment, chimpanzees and science prove the opposite to the filmmaker. What if vulnerability turns out to be her greatest strength for connection?

Meike wants to come across as a strong leader by controlling her visible emotions. Working with cognitive psychologist Mariska Kret, she explores the evolutionary roots of emotion and leadership. This journey leads her to chimpanzees, whose alpha behaviour sheds new light on our ideas about power, vulnerability, empathy, and how these naturally relate to one another. Presented as a letter to the world-renowned primatologist Frans de Waal, who passed away in 2024, this graduation film reveals the age-old and vital social connection between humans and great apes. What can chimpanzees teach us about leadership, relationships – and ourselves?

This film is part of the NFF Studentencompetitie and nominated for the KNF Award 2025. The winner will be announced on Monday, September 29th, during the Talent Awards Ceremony at the Stadsschouwburg Utrecht.

Credits

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Director
Meike Schaapveld
Producer
Charlotte Vermeulen
Inez Eltink
Executive producer
Charlotte Vermeulen
Camera
Thomas Zeman
Sound Design
Armani van Engelen
Set geluid
Armani van Engelen
David Warringa
Sound editing
Thom Verbree
Visual Effects
Jelle Koster
Light
Max Merkus
Luc Roes
Montage
Meike Schaapveld

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Poster
Title: Aap tot Aap
Year: 2025
Duration : 21 minutes
Type: Short Documentary
Edition: NFF 2025

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.

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