Coen Verbraak

Spring 2012: the SP is doing better than ever in the polls. The party stands at well over thirty seats. With that, Emile Roemer could very well become the new Prime Minister of the Netherlands. Director Coen Verbraak approaches the SP leader with the proposal to follow him as he prepares for the elections, which are likely to come in a year or two. Roemer says ‘yes’. For these could be historic times, both for his party and for the Netherlands. Two days after that meeting, the first Rutte cabinet falls, and everything accelerates rapidly. This documentary meticulously shows what happens from that moment on.

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Fifty years after independence, Coen Verbraak examines the current state of Suriname and its future. With voices from Suriname and the Netherlands on brain drain, identity, fragile democracy, and the lasting impact of slavery. The role of the Netherlands, departure and return, care, and hope are also addressed.

Moluccans in the Netherlands: 70 Years on the Way Home. In 1951, the first Moluccans came to the Netherlands. Through interviews, Coen Verbraak tells the stories of different generations of Moluccans about their involuntary exile.

Coen Verbraak talks to his guests about life themes that we all experience.

For thirty years she was the undisputed queen of the Dutch talk show: Sonja Barend. With Coen Verbraak, she takes one last look back: at her motivations, the history of her family, and her father.

They worked together for nearly forty years, and during that period, Kees van Kooten and Wim de Bie produced hundreds of hours of television. Initially with 'Hadimassa' and 'Het Gat van Nederland', and later with the 'Simplisties Verbond'. For years, they were the standard for humor and satire on television. They enriched the language with dozens of self-invented words – from *doemdenken* (doom thinking) to *regelneef* (control freak). They received the Silver Nipkow Disc twice. In 1985, they were awarded the Honorary Nipkow Disc for their entire television oeuvre. This documentary offers a unique glimpse into a wealth of archival material and visits and interviews Van Kooten and De Bie themselves.

Documentary by Coen Verbraak about entertainer, poet, and painter Toon Hermans.

It is the city hospital of Amsterdam, where all the cultures of the big city meet: the OLVG. Every year, more than 500,000 patients are treated here, spread across two locations. The OLVG's emergency department is one of the largest in the Netherlands. As is the maternity ward, where 5,000 babies are born every year. For two years, documentary filmmaker Coen Verbraak and his team filmed in this hospital, before and during the pandemic, following in the footsteps of doctors, nurses, and other staff members.

In this three-part documentary series, Coen Verbraak looks back on the events of that time with the Dutchbat soldiers involved.

For nearly twenty years, she was the chief editor of the now-legendary VARA programs with Sonja Barend. In addition, she was instrumental in the creation of the still-successful general knowledge quizzes Per seconde wijzer and Twee voor twaalf. She has never had any trouble with a place in the background: program maker, director, and chief editor Ellen Blazer. Coen Verbraak spoke with Ellen and with various colleagues about her important role in Dutch television history.

Can the rule of law collapse? Journalist Coen Verbraak investigates this urgent question and speaks with judges, public prosecutors, lawyers, mayors, journalists, and politicians. They share their stories of intimidation, violence, and growing societal pressure. How strong is our rule of law still, and what is needed to protect it?

Colleagues and friends look back on the life of writer Joost Zwagerman.

In the documentary series 'The Promised Land', journalist and historian Coen Verbraak speaks with Dutch Jews living in The Netherlands or in Israel.

For centuries, they have been stared at by millions of eyes: the painted figures in Rembrandt van Rijn's Night Watch. What do they actually think? How did they feel about posing for the painter? And are they satisfied with the canvas?

Documentary by Coen Verbraak about Boudewijn Büch, writer, poet, and television presenter, who died on November 23, 2002. This portrait centers on the way Büch mystified his own life.

Following the Van Rijn Commission's investigation, Coen Verbraak speaks with editors and presenters about the work culture at the public broadcaster.

On Monday, May 23, 1977, South Moluccan youths hijacked a passenger train near the village of De Punt. At the same moment, another group held 105 children and 5 teachers from the primary school in Bovensmilde hostage. Images of the children shouting 'Van Agt, we want to live' went around the world. After a few days, the Moluccans released the children, but the teachers had to stay behind. What followed was a nail-biting game of cat and mouse that would last for more than two weeks.

A film about the deep traces the war sometimes leaves behind in the soul.

A portrait of Adriaan van Dis by Coen Verbraak, in which they visit people and places that played an important role in Van Dis' life.