White Flash
Date:
January 12, 2023
White Flash
Looking for festival release and sales agent
Logline
This is the story of Aagje, Toon and their son Rick (42). Rick suffers from psychotic episodes, depression and severe headaches. We follow their journey in the last six weeks leading up to the death of Rick. A journey proving that letting someone so close to us go, is the most extreme expression of love.
Synopsis
Every week, AAGJE and TOON visit their son RICK (42), who lives in a closed psychiatric ward. He suffers from psychotic episodes,
depression, severe headaches, leading to unpredictable behavior.
When DOCTOR KOCH announces that Rick’s request for euthanasia on the grounds of unbearable and incurable psychological suffering, will probably be granted, Aagje feels relieved. For Toon it’s a total shock. Rick has six weeks left. Which for himself is too long, but is it enough time for his parents to let go out of love?
Rick bares his soul – the good, but also the dark – to the one closest:
his mother Aagje. Whenever in an episode, she gets the full brunt
of it. As Rick’s euthanasia nears it gets harder and harder for Aagje
to deal with this.
Doctor Koch advises Rick to make practical arrangements for his
nearing end. Rick tries, but can’t bring himself to clean out his apartment. The total chaos Aagje and Toon find at the flat touches Aagje deeply and she starts to doubt: what if Ricks episodes are a cry for love and attention after all?
Although redemption is closer than ever, Rick can’t take it anymore.
He threatens to jump off a balcony. His parents are informed and
hurry over. Even though they’re scared, they ultimately decide to
leave while Rick still threatens to jump.
Rick shows remorse for his actions and continues to discuss his
funeral wishes with his parents: the exact music that should be
played, that everyone needs to dress in white and that they should
drive his classic car to the funeral.
The night before his death, the family gathers in the hospice: Rick
wants to eat his favorite pastries with them. The next day, Rick says
farewell to his family before drinking the potion. He falls asleep and
Aagje feels how life peacefully flows out of his body. No more pain,
like Rick said.
Director’s Profile
White Flash is Laura Hermanides’ debut feature film.
Laura has written and directed several internationally acclaimed short films and documentaries including the Teledoc Campus Prove me wrong (Best Film San Francisco Shorts Film Festival; Best Director Rush Doc Film Festival), the short film Nymphet (Sundance Channel Award; Best Actress, Best Director & Best Film Shortcutz Awards) and the short film Amantea (Best Short Talent Award Da Bounce Urban Film Festival; and selected for many international Film festivals like Uppsala, Vienna, Glasgow).
Director’s previous work:
Anahit (2022)
(curated by The National Gallery : https://landmarks.utexas.edu/
video-art/laura-hermanides)
– Nominated Best Experimental Shortcutz 2023
– Cinedans, Eye Filmmuseum
– Cinedans on Tour 2022
– Selected Dutch Shorts, Eye Filmmuseum 2022
– Forum van de Regisseurs Nederlands Film Festival 2022
– LOOP Fair Barcelona, curated by The Curators Room
– Greenwich Village Film Festival New York, Best Director Award,
2022
– Dag van de Korte Film, GoShort, Eye Filmmuseum & Nederlands
FIlm Festival (in 23 filmtheaters verspreid over het land)
Amantea (2019)
– Best Short Talent Award Da Bounce Urban Film Festival
– Cannes Short Film Corner 2019
– Shortcutz Amsterdam 2020
– Elba Film Festival 2020
– San Francisco International Short Film Festival
Nymphet (2016)
– Sundance Channel Award, broadcasted worldwide
– Best Actress, Best Director & Best Film Shortcutz Awards
– Go Short Dutch Competition
– Best Short Film Cordoba Film Festival Colombia
– Special Mention International Short Film Festival Leuven
– Broadcasted by Canvas
Prove me wrong (2014)
– Best Film San Francisco Shorts Film Festival
– Best Director Rush Doc Film Festival
– Glasgow Short Film Festival
– Top 10 Documentaries Uppsala Film Festival
– Vienna Shorts Festival
Company Profile
Family Affair Films is an Amsterdam based production company
founded by Floor Onrust, specialized in contemporary fiction and
documentaries of high artistic quality with a strong author-driven
visions.
We develop projects with new talent and we nurture our relationships with established filmmakers.
Steve McQueen’s documentary OCCUPIED CITY (2023) premiered in the official selection of Cannes and recently screened at
Telluride. The Dutch premiere of the film will take place during the
26th edition of IDFA. THREE MINUTES – A LENGTHENING (2021) a documentary by Bianca Stigter premiered in Venice in 2021 and was selected for Toronto, Telluride and IDFA and Sundance.
Furthermore, their slate include features such as SPLENDID ISOLATION (IFFR 2022) by Ursuzla Antoniak, BLOODY MARIE (IFFR 2019) by Guido van Driel, LIGHT AS FEATHERS (Toronto 2018) by Rosanne Pel and BEYOND WORDS by Urszula Antoniak (Toronto & San Sebastian 2017).
Fall 2023, WHEN WE LOST FROM THE GERMANS, Guido van
Driel’s third feature film, and ZOMERVACHT, Joren Molter’s debut
film, premiered in cinemas.