Directed by:
Peter HoogendoornScreenplay:
Peter HoogendoornCinematography:
Gregg TelussaComposer:
Christiaan VerbeekPlots(1)
Just as he does every year, dad flies from sunny Portugal for a three-day visit to the Netherlands, the drab country of his birth. He has his usual errands to run and he visits his doctor for his annual check-up, accompanied by his eccentric grown-up son… This intimate film offers a glimpse into the relationship between two men who have grown apart yet, as they engage in seemingly mundane activities, little by little they try to find their way back to one another. Three Days of Fish, the second outing by Dutch filmmaker Peter Hoogendoorn, is a gentle drama, interlaced with the dry humour typical for the region. (Karlovy Vary International Film Festival)
(more)Reviews (1)
It may be sad, but I stick to a few rules during the KVIFF: go to films that aren't from exotic countries (Somalia and the like are better not to try), go to films that are ideally in the Hotel Thermal and the surrounding area (yeah, I'm lazy), go to films that aren't in the main competition because they tend to be exceptionally good. Three Days of Fish is a co-production between the Netherlands and Belgium. So okay. It was just in the Hotel Pupp and in competition, so I was nervous. Fortunately, unnecessarily. It's not a revelatory film, neither in form nor in story. Peter Hoogendoorn made an intimate drama about a father and son who only see each other a few times a year, and at least you can see in the dad that it could be less often because he considers his son a not very capable loser and gave up on him a long time ago. And his attempts at rapprochement are met with disinterest. But during those three days he gets a chance to see that things are not so bad with his offspring, but it may be too late to do anything about the broken relationship. The whole thing is reminiscent of Vladimír Michálek's drama Of Parents and Children, the dialogue and situations are obviously authentic, the actors are convincing and it's nice to watch. An enjoyable ordinary drama, with a premise and restrained delivery that can be very affecting.
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