De Jurk, the third film from Alex van Warmerdam, tells the tale of a dress from its genesis as the cotton is picked in a Spanish field to its cremation with the body of its final wearer. The film depicts the profound sexual changes that the dress effects upon those who come into contact with it. Producer Marc van Warmerdam, Alex's brother, explains that they wanted the eponymous object to drive events in the film: 'We had the freedom to make everything incidental to the life of the dress.'
After two films made for Holland-based First Floor Features, Abel (1986, Best Direction and Best Film, Dutch Film Festival) and The Northerners (1992, Best Direction Dutch Film Festival, Felix for Best New European Film), De Jurk is the first production from Graniet Film, a company created to produce all of Alex van Warmerdam's future films.
The production process was 'like building a tree-house from scratch', says Marc van Warmerdam, describing the considerable efforts involved in bringing to fruition the first collaboration under the Graniet Film banner. 'We were granted great freedom, but the learning process was even greater.' Namely, finding more and more ingenious solutions to the continual problems of raising finance.
The first part was relatively simple. The Dutch Film Fund, VARA and other Dutch initiatives allowed production to get under way. A sponsorship deal with the Dutch office of Citroën secured further funding. The final piece of the funding jigsaw was found when the producers received financial solace from the Orkater theatre company, which they founded in 1987.
De Jurk is their first venture that is not studio-bound the film was shot almost entirely on location within The Netherlands. Any production difficulties they encountered are philosophically placed into a wider context by van Warmerdam. 'On location we were at the mercy of elements we could not control. We were like the characters upon whom the dress exerts its undeniable will.' Nicholas Cunningham
Prod co: Graniet Film
Prod: Marc van Warmerdam, Ton Schippers, Alex van Warmerdam
Dir/scr: Alex van Warmerdam.
Ph: Marc Felperlaan
Cos: Leonie Polak
Music: Vincent van Warmerdam
Ed: René Wiegmans
Cast: Henri Garcin, Olga Zuiderhoek, Ariane Schluter, Ricky Koole
Running time: 103 minutes
International sales: Fortissimo Film Sales
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