Acting
A rainy evening in the harbor of Antwerp. A man named Laarmans is on his way home even though he doesn't want to. Three lost Eastern sailors are looking for a woman named Maria Van Dam and ask Laermans to show them the way. He decides to help them find this mysterious woman.
The Inquisition is in full swing in 16th century Flanders. Wanted for his dissident writings, the alchemist doctor Zeno has been wandering Europe under an assumed name for twenty years. But he remains a non-conformist. He returns to his native Bruges, where he thinks he has been forgotten. In this silent labyrinth where the faces of the past resurface, he rediscovers his identity and thus signs his death warrant.
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Around 1850 Baas Gansendonck who has an inn looks down on the farmers. He wants his daughter Lisa to marry the baron of the village. But she is in love with Karel, the son of a simple brewer.
In the late 19th-century, the Tippel family moves to rural Stavoren in search of greener pastures. However, their dreams are quickly shattered, as teenage Katie is terrorized by a male-dominated society who only see her as an object. Her situation worsens when, following her father's sacking and her elder sister's descent into alcoholism, her mother decides that, rather than starving, Katie becomes a prostitute.
After World War II, Antonia and her daughter, Danielle, go back to their Dutch hometown, where Antonia's late mother has bestowed a small farm upon her. There, Antonia settles down and joins a tightly-knit but unusual community. Those around her include quirky friend Crooked Finger, would-be suitor Bas and, eventually for Antonia, a granddaughter and great-granddaughter who help create a strong family of empowered women.
Willem van Oranje tells the remarkable life story of our Father of the Fatherland. Although loyal to the Spanish crown, Willem van Oranje-Nassau has moral objections when he hears Philip II's plans. Bloody inquisitions are being planned against the Protestants in Europe, which will not spare the Dutch people either. Although Catholic, William was absolutely opposed to any form of infringement on religious freedom. Friendship and love, but also intrigue and betrayal, were all part of the fascinating life of the founder of the current Dutch Royal House.
In this erotic drama, Marcel fantasizes about being with his daughter-in-law Simone after the death of his wife. The woman pretends to be surprised over his attention but does nothing to discourage his advances. He promises to build her a swimming pool in order to further his fantasies. The story is taken from the novel by Junichiro Tamizaki.
Willem is furious when a journalist makes fun of him because he acts hysterical in court during the Agusta scandal. He decides to kidnap the man and find out everything about him, but he discovers more than he bargained for.
Jill's husband has been distant since they moved to Paris. He's pressured at work to engage in illegal activities but he refuses. Soon after, when their children disappear while in Jill's care, her mental health comes into question.
Pauline is a 'little girl of 66 years old'. She is mentally retarded and been cared after by her sister Martha. When Martha dies, her two younger sisters, Paulette and Cecile have to make a decision on the best place for Pauline to be looked after. Neither of them is ready to take care of her. Paulette has a shop to look after and Cecile has her Albert. But according to Martha's last will, her fortune will only be divided in three equal parts if one of the sisters looks after Pauline. If they decide to take her to an institution, Pauline will be the only heir.
When his wife Lydia commits suicide, succesful attorney Robert Havinck is freed from his unhappy marriage. Unfortunately, it turns out she took a complete stranger along with her, and a feeling of guilt and curiosity about her motives lead Havinck to team up with his fifteen-year old daughter to explore Lydia's final days.
In a part of Flanders where flax is the main crop, farmer Vermeulen rules his estate like an 'old school' patriarch, stern and authoritarian, nobody else's word is ever taken seriously, just scolded fools, he rather risks being wrong then considering any advice. His marriage is based on a grim understanding: the wife Barbele accepts his heartless manner with everyone, even their studious, smart, healthy, studly son and heir Louis, but his two silly sisters are spoiled with a pointless fancy nunnery boarding school education fit for the upper classes. Farm-life is hard enough, laboring without machines or reliable weather, but this year the stubborn master made it even worse by picking the riskier, badly drained field and sowing later then his neighbors, even when luck turns he'll fetch a lower price for it. Poor practically perfect Louis is granted neither praise, respect nor any pleasure, however hard and well he slaves, obedient like the hired farmhands although well-read. Even ...
A building contractor and his spouse are driven apart by financial worries. Tony is an energetic personality well on in his 30s, presuming upon having everything under control. He's married to Nora, and they have two kids. Tony frequents tough assertiveness training sessions, owing to which he boosts up his self-confidence and considers himself to be the never-failing businessman and the perfect husband. As a result of his excessive investments and his haughty attitude, his company gets under a heavy cloud. When bankruptcy has become inevitable, his problems also affect family life. He starts taking his problems out on his wife who seems to be able to cope with the new situation more easily. She makes him see how vulnerable he really is.
The Dutch title means "The woods of Flanders", referring to the rustic setting of this costume drama about the complex context of a number of murders in 19th century Belgium before, during and after the German occupation in World War I.
Journalist Stella discovers the secrets of the Lotte de Heus Verolmen, the widow of the Dutch nazi-collaborator party NSB-frontman Ewald de Heus Verolmen.