Director

Directors statement – Jenny van den Broeke

It all started with the thought: “How do you find love when you can’t see?”

In love, the first impression counts. This impression is usually based on someone’s appearance although we don’t like to admit that. Your appearance says something about your taste, your status and your way of life.

What does the search for love look like when you do not have this first visual input? What impression makes a person fall in love? And: How to flirt without eye contact?

Personally, my sight is one of the most important things in life. I could not function without it. It would be impossible. It scares me to think about a life without visual information. At the same time, this fear of blindness has made me increasingly curious about the ‘non-visual’ world of the blind. Whilst working with other filmmakers and artists it often struck me that each of us has this individual perception of the world around us. This personal way of seeing fascinates me.

During the research I talked to many people with a visual impairment and I heard many interesting stories. I choose to make this documentary about three young people and their way of seeing things. These teens are at the forefront of their adult lives. The foundation for their further existence is being built and it is interesting to see how they each cope with hard choices differently.

It was a challenge to translate their stories and to bring the experience of the blind world to the film audience. During the interviews I learned that some words are just without meaning for a blind person. Florian, for example, does not care about the looks of his pretty girlfriend and he has no idea whatsoever about the colour ‘yellow’. At the same time, I have also learned that the way a person smells and the way a voice sounds do make a difference. And ‘trust’ is also a term I’ve heard a lot in conversations about the perfect partner.

I’ve noticed my sight is dominant when observing things around me. But after this production I am definitely more aware of the impact of sounds. The fear of becoming blind is still there, but now I know there is a way of seeing without sight. Blind people do not live in the dark and knowing that reassures me.

Jenny van den Broeke

CV Jenny van den Broeke

Jenny van den Broeke – Independent filmmaker and educator

2013		Exhibition Henny, ‘the documentary’ in co-operation with Michel Szulc Krzyzanowksi, BKKC, Tilburg, The Netherlands
2013		Documentary film ‘MicroKosmos Westpoint’ (now in funding fase), research (finished), scenario (finished), directing, Tilburg, The Netherlands
2013		Completion of the documentary film ‘Blind Love’, research, scenario, directing
2012		Theaterplay on location MOEland, Film and part of concept team
2011		Four short filmportraits young creatives, BKKC Brand New, Tilburg, The Netherlands
2009		Oeroltube, short movies made during the Oerol Festival, Terschelling, The Netherlands
2009		‘Day of the TV Idea’; presentation of pilot animated TV series ‘Snert’
2008		Short film ‘Letters for Mathilde’,  directing, scenario writing
2008		Short film ‘Water Trails’, production
2008		Commercial for CreditBank Europe, design
2008		Pilot TV Series ’The Nose Gnomes’, animation
2008		Concept for theatre show ‘Styrofoam’, concept, camera, animation
2007		Short animated film ‘A piece of Heaven’, production, animation
2007		Documentary art project in co-operation with Martin Riebeek; ‘Romance, Waves and Scooters’, production, interview, camera
2007		On media, content for the tv screen in public space
2007		‘Lola en Polo’ in co-operation with Spunky, Museum Beeld & Geluid (Image & Sound), Hilversum, The Netherlands, animation
2007		Animated short film ‘Lucifer’, scenario writing, animation
2004		Animated  short film ‘Lijmen’, scenario writing, animation
2009-Now		Teacher Film AKV StJoost Breda, Den Bosch, The Netherlands
2005-Now		Co-owner and director at Studio APVIS (www.apvis.nl), Breda, The Netherlands
2005-2009		Teacher audio-visual, art and culture, Pontes schools  ‘Het Goese Lyceum’, Goes,The Netherlands.  Teaching film and animation, developing departmental curriculum
2005apr – aug		Animator/illustrator at animation studio Spunky productions b.v., Amsterdam,The Netherlands