Doorgaan

Exerting strength at the right moment and releasing tension again at the right moment; that is what rowing is all about. As soon as someone does not slacken, the boat starts to rock. Especially with the eight, timing is of the utmost importance. With Laurens ter Keurst, 86 years old and the oldest competitive rower in the Netherlands, as its central figure, this film makes the magic of rowing tangible by means of rhythmic shots of eight elderly rowers. The images are shot from many different angles, the concentrated faces, the leg muscles they seem to be in control of, the uniformly moving oars. Gradually, the spectator is swept along by the cadence of the men and their boat, until he hears just a humming, distant sound and the water, with the reflection of the overgrowth on the shore, whizzes past like an abstract patchwork quilt. Eight still vigorous bodies merge into a single flowing movement. Afterwards, the faces display satisfaction rather than fatigue.