Country Life

by Kurt Platvoet

This is where it is explained what the film is about, but you will have to give it your own meaning.

Kurt explains: "I had a hole in my garden (it’s filmed at my house in Rotterdam), wanted to work with Zouhair, who I knew had a cat. And the world is on fire, so I added all those thing up. I try not to think too much about what it all means. Also, in such a short film, I wanted to leave the viewer with a ‘wtf did I just see’ instead of trying to cram a message in there. I have my own thoughts about it, but I don’t think my personal view is that interesting. I liked the idea of throwing the viewer somewhere in the middle of a greater story, without explaining where or why. I was also inspired by the fact that the film is made possible by a manufacturer of lamps."

So, that's that.

Obstructions:
Film with atleast 4 different cameras of which only two can be of the same kind.

Can you guide us through your creative process from receiving the obstructions to the final film? How did you get started and what did you do?

When I got the obstructions, I immediately knew I wanted to shoot on 35mm. I’ve never done that, and it soon became the main recording device. I felt the texture and roughness and film-quality really matched what I wanted to film, and because I wanted to show the garden after the man disappears, like nothing happened, those shots became the other 3 cameras. I think the ‘crappier’ quality of those shots really fit with what I wanted to tell. Different people almost, left behind, in a chaotic world.

Who did you work with?

I filmed it with Thijmen Doornik, a DOP I love working with, and a couple of friends helped my with digging the hole deeper, setting everything up, pulling the cat up etc. The sound and music were made by Francesco Robustelli, we had a lot of fun making a world war out there.

How does this film fit within the other films you made?

I don’t know, I try not think too much about my style or what it all means compared with what I made before. It’s all made by me, so I guess that’s what connects them. I always feel like the next thing I make should be something completely different then before. But I guess I like stuff without dialogue, and some surrealism is never far away.

Do you feel you were able to make the something you weren’t able to in another way?

It was very nice to make something without having to explain myself beforehand, to be completely free. I really appreciated that the obstructions were technical and not conceptual.

And finally, because I’m sure it’s what most people really want to know, how many cats were harmed in the making of this film?

We had 4 shots (we had money for 2 reels of 35mm film, with 2 shots per reel), so we used 4 cats. I hope they’re fine.

Thank you.

Man: Zouhair Mtazi
Concept & Director: Kurt Platvoet
Camera: Thijmen Doornik
Sound & Music: Francesco Robustelli
Sound Recording: Koos van der Vaart
Grading: Judy Steenman
Titles: Wouter Betting
Setphotography: Janneke Doornik

Crew:
Thessa Meijer
Joren Spittuler
Daniël Fransman
Bas Groenteman

Thanks to:
Jurjen Semeijn
Fleur van Eldik - Filmmore
Maloney Amsterdam
Camera Rentals
Ralph van Houte

Equipment used:
Arri 235 - 35mm film camera
iPhone 6 camera
Canon 6D camera
DJI Drone camera
Astora PS1300B Power Spot light
Astora SF200 Soft Panel light



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