Leonard Retel Helmrich

Position Among the Stars

Leonard Retel Helmrich

Through the eyes of grandmother Rumidjah, a poor old Christian woman living in the slums of Jakarta, we see the economical changing society of Indonesia and the influence of globalization reflected in the life of her juvenile granddaughter Tari and her sons Bakti and Dwi.

Stand van de zon

Leonard Retel Helmrich

Stand van de maan

Leonard Retel Helmrich

Three generations of one family weather the challenges of living in modern-day Indonesia, the largest Muslim community on the globe.

Hollandse Nieuwe

Hetty Naaijkens-Retel Helmrich, Leonard Retel Helmrich

Every year millions of people look forward to the first preparation of Hollandse Nieuwe, the popular snack of raw herring from the North Sea’s spring catch. But how do you find glory in the grueling pursuit of a once-iconic fish that even the queen no longer accepts as definitively Dutch? Raw Herring celebrates the cultural legacy maintained by Holland’s last great herring fishers even as new trends and foreign competition threaten their way of life.

The Long Season

Leonard Retel Helmrich

A documentary by renowned filmmaker Leonard Retel Helmrich about life in Majdal Anjar, a Syrian camp in Lebanon. The film takes us inside and shows what daily life is like for those whose lives are postponed and waiting to return to Raqqa.

Promised Paradise

Leonard Retel Helmrich

Using performance to inspire critical reflection, Promised Paradise delivers fascinating and revealing insight into the social and religious undercurrents dominating Indonesian society today and the Muslim world at large.

Moving Objects

Leonard Retel Helmrich

“Moving objects” are the subject of this film, a portrait of six Dutch theater groups that make performances with puppets and other objects. Manipulation and creating illusions is their profession. For them, the visual aspect of theater making is of great importance. These theater makers all have a special relationship with fine arts, they often use theater as a complement to express themselves. This form of theater has a great variety: from traditional to contemporary visual art events and everything in between. However, the starting point is always the same: bringing objects to life. By following theater makers with the camera - before, during and after the performance - we get to see things that otherwise we would never get to see: improvisations, dilemmas, the carpentry and construction. The film confronts the audience with the ingenuity of the performers and explores the genre through observation and dialogue.