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In Het ondergronds orkest (The Underground Orchestra) the documentary maker Heddy Honigmann tries to travel the Paris metro where political refugees and illegal immigrants briefly forget their exile and homesickness in the music that is also their living. The crew was not allowed to film in the metro so, alongside the clandestine shots, the film was also made above ground. Here the lives of a singer from Mali, a Venezuelan harp-player, a violinist from Sarajevo and others continue in poverty-stricken hotel rooms or cramped apartments under the eves of Paris. The musical themes gradually come to the surface in the film as the music is recorded in a studio, concerts are given and there even turns out to be a veritable 'underground orchestra' at the Place des Vosges.

Credits

Set geluid
Mixage
Hugo Dijkstal Audio Postproductie
Production company
Pieter van Huystee Film & TV
TV company
VPRO TV
Distributor NL
ABC/Cinemien

Title: Het ondergronds orkest
Year: 1997
Duration : 1 hour, 45 minutes
Category: Long Documentary
Edition: NFF 2000

Gouden Kalf nominees

Other awards

Prijs v.d. Nederlandse Filmkritiek (1998)

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.