`We need people like Felix to survive,' an Armenian refugee says about his compatriot, who has just performed a heartrending song on a second-hand accordion in a caravan at an asylum seekers' centre in Overijssel. Wat mijn hart zingt (What My Heart Sings) deals with the importance of music for uprooted refugees in the Netherlands. The distressing stories of Chinese, Somalis, Afghans and Tibetans are obviously accompanied by their music that, complementing typically Dutch scenes, takes on a different tone. The rhythm of the film is determined by the composed editing and photography. Poignancy lies in simple images: the Somali singer who is celebrated at home sings about the impossibilities of life in a corridor that is lit by fluorescent lights, and a Chinese man greets the sea by doing a joyful dance in the surf.
Credits
Director
Producer
Script
Camera
Set geluid
Montage
Production company
Boom Film
TV company
Human
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.