Best Dutch documentary movies

The New Wilderness (2013)

At the heart of one of the most densely populated areas of Europe, in a country where every square meter of land has been meticulously shaped by man, lie the Oostvaardersplassen – a unique experiment in letting nature run its course. In just 40 years, 6,000 hectares of newly formed polder has been transformed into one of Europe’s most dynamic and productive wetlands – home to some of Europe’s rarest birds such as the magnificent white tailed eagle, which hadn’t been seen in the Netherlands since the Middle Ages.

Strike a Pose (2016)

In 1990, seven young male dancers joined Madonna on her most controversial world tour. Their journey was captured in Truth or Dare. As a self-proclaimed 'mother' to her six gay dancers plus straight Oliver, Madonna used the film to make a stand on gay rights and freedom of expression. The dancers became paragons of pride, inspiring people all over the world to dare to be who you are. 25 years later, the dancers share their own stories about life during and after the tour. What does it really take to express yourself?

Thunderdome Never Dies (2019)

The world's most influential Dutch rave makes its legendary comeback. In the 1990s, Thunderdome initiated a total revolution in the nightlife and became the founder of the Netherlands largest cultural export product: dance music. Thunderdome returned in 2017 after five years of silence. Will Thunderdome manage to reinvent itself for a new generation of ravers. Go on a trip down memory lane and look forward to the future with the pioneers of the past and the new faces of today.

Are All Men Pedophiles? (2013)

We live in a society that both condemns pedophiles and sexualizes young girls. The film explores the many dangers children face and exposes the systematic violation of children rights by societies, presenting the testimony of both victims and perpetrators. It also looks at how the pedophilia hysteria that has led to the mass incarceration adults and children.

Glass (1958)

This short documentary, shot in the glass factories of Leerdam and Schiedam, demonstrates how glass blowers do their work. But thanks to the superbly edited ballet of working hands and the sequence of mechanical motions of the engines, is it especially a cinematic tour de force. That the industry can’t do without man’s involvement is shown in the scene where we hear the voice of Haanstra himself counting the bottles on the conveyor belt, until one bottle breaks…

AFIJN (Misha Mengelberg) (2006)

This feature-length documentary chronicles the life and playful methods of Dutch pianist and composer Misha Mengelberg, a significant figure in post-WWII European Jazz and free improvisation. Archival footage, rehearsal / performance sequences and interviews with both Mengelberg (the "godfather of Dutch improvised music") and key collaborators provide a clear insight in Mengelberg's original way of thinking and way of working.

Rain (1929)

A lyrical portrait of Amsterdam and its changing appearance during a rain-shower.

Occupied City (2023)

The past collides with the present in this excavation of the Nazi occupation of Amsterdam: a journey from World War II to recent years of pandemic and protest and a provocative, life-affirming reflection on memory, time and what's to come.

The Zoo (1961)

A perfect, fast and hilarious montage. Using images from Artis (Amsterdam Zoo), Bert Haanstra shows that a couple of similarities can be discovered between human and animal. Particularly the manner in which human and ape are confronted with each other, is significant. The images speak for themselves, human voices or commentary is absent. The ironic music of Pim Jacobs does add an extra dimension to the whole. With regards to human and animal Haanstra limits himself for the time being to this short film, recorded with a hidden camera. Later on, in several big films, he would return to this subject.

North Korea: A Day in the Life (2004)

If the cityscapes and patriotic anthems of this film seem a far cry from the bleak landscape of Seoul Train, that's no accident. Dutch filmmaker Pieter Fleury, with the full permission and cooperation of the North Korean government, created this propaganda film that gives us a glimpse of a day in the life of one of the world's most enigmatic societies. A Day in the Life, largely dictated by the North Korean film bureau, follows a typical North Korean family through their daily duties, largely dedicated to the pride in the North Korean nation of comrades and the glory of General Kim Jong Il. The film is meant to extol the success of modern North Korea. But does it? With straight footage and a total absence of narration, viewers may interpret Fleury's film in a slightly different manner than intended

Mysterious Object at Noon (2000)

A camera crew travels through Thailand asking villagers to invent the next chapter of an ever-growing story.

Ants on a Shrimp (2017)

One of the world's best restaurants, the Copenhagen-based NOMA and its renowned chef-owner René Redzepi relocate the restaurant and its entire staff to Tokyo.

Holland: The Living Delta (2015)

Enjoy an homage to the stunning scenery, majestic wildlife and ageless forces of nature found throughout Holland's lush and vivid landscapes.

15 years 101Barz (2021)

A dutch mini-series/documentary that celebrates fifteen years of broadcasting the legendare dutch musicshow ‘101Barz’. The documentary follows the production of a one-off live show in the Royal Theater Carré in Amsterdam with multiple Grammy winning jazz and pop orchestra ‘The Metropole Orkest’ in collaboration with some of the best artists from the dutch rap and hip-hop scene. This is interjected by interviews with some of the most notable and loyal guests of the show and ‘Rotjoch’ the creator and presenter of the show during all these years.

13 Hours That Saved Britain (2011)

In this documentary, experts dissect the Battle of Britain, which took place on Sept. 15, 1940 — a day that determined the fate of the nation.

Kitty Love: An Homage to Cats (2020)

An ode to the cat. A compilation of the funniest and cutest cat video's by Abatutu, the most famous cat in The Netherlands

M. C. Escher: Journey to Infinity (2018)

A portrait of the visionary Dutch artist M. C. Escher (1898-1972), according to his own words, taken from his diary, his correspondence and the texts of his lectures.

Episode 1 (2003)

Episode 1 is the registration of Renzo Martens' activities in Chechnya. He penetrates the war-zone —alone, illegal and carrying a Hi8 camera- and takes on the role of the single most important actor in war: that of the ubiquitous, yet forever undefined, television viewer for whose attention the battles are being fought. Amidst ruins and bombings, he does not ask refugees, UN employees and rebels how they feel. Those stories are well known, and serve no purpose for those who tell them. Instead, he asks them how they think he feels. The film forms a metaphor for an economy of images, roles and emotions. At the same time, there Martens stands, alone, with his camera, recording. The film is not about some external phenomenon, but about the terms and conditions of its own existence.

Het beste voor Kees (2014)

44-year old autistic Kees still lives with his parents. How long can his eldery parents keep taking care of him and what happens with Kees when they are unable to?

Meet the Fokkens (2011)

Sisters doing it for themselves in Amsterdam's Red Light District. Louise and Martine Fokkens are identical twins. For over fifty years they were working as prostitutes. They freed themselves from the control of their pimps, ran their own brothel, and set up the first informal trade union for prostitutes. They are familiar faces in Amsterdam's Red Light District, but soon they will bid their farewells. The Ladies Fokkens is a portrait of these remarkable women, as well as a history of the Red Light District over the past fifty years.

Close to Vermeer (2023)

In the year before he retires, Gregor Weber, a globally renowned Vermeer expert and flamboyant curator at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, works on his big dream: the largest Vermeer exhibition ever. Together with Weber, a number of enthusiasts and experts go in search of what truly makes a Vermeer a Vermeer.

Wild (2018)

From the imposing mating call of the red deer and the flight of the buzzard to the hunt of the fox and the micro-ecosystem on a massive oak: nature documentarist Luc Enting recorded it all for his stunning feature film Wild Heart of Holland, produced by PVPictures. The result of his efforts is an exciting, moving and often humorous film, revealing the beauty and diversity of this wild park in every season. We also watch the main characters grow up to adulthood, a path inevitably dogged with challenges. Enting: “To me, this park, in any season, has an almost un-Dutch beauty. It is the largest continuous nature reserve in northwest Europe with an incredible variety of landscapes and life. It has forests, heath, sand drifts, brooks and pushed moraines. With my film, I would like to give a new insight into its incredibly diverse nature.”

Wild Amsterdam (2018)

The city from the unique perspective of the many wild animals and plants that inhabit it. Seen through the eyes of the adventurous urban cat, Abatutu.

A Skin Too Few: The Days of Nick Drake (2002)

Profile of musician Nick Drake, who was only 26 when he died in 1974 but whose three albums have been deeply and increasingly influential on the rock and pop world.

Kitty Love: An Homage to Cats (2021)

Famous feline Abatutu presents this charming celebration of cats, showcasing their finest and friskiest moments with a collection of home videos.

Maidan (2014)

A chronicle of the civil uprising against the regime of Ukrainian president Viktor Yanukovych that took place in Kyiv in the winter of 2013/14. The film follows the progress of the revolution: from peaceful rallies, half a million strong in the Maidan square, to the bloody street battles between protesters and riot police.

Kees Vliegt Uit (2023)

Betty: They Say I’m Different (2017)

An aspiring songwriter from a small steel town, Betty Mabry Davis arrived on the scene to break boundaries for women with her daring personality, iconic fashion style and outrageous funk. She befriended Jimi Hendrix and Sly Stone, wrote songs for the Chambers Brothers and The Commodores and married Miles Davis, turning him from jazz to funk and then went on to ignite stages in the 70s with her sassy sexed up mix of hard rock and bluesy funk, inspiring artists from Prince to Erykah Badu to Karen 0 and Peaches. Then she vanished…

Druk (2009)

A documentary on the subject of ADHD.

A Family Affair (2015)

Tom, the filmmaker, receives a letter from South Africa. His long forgotten 95-year old grandmother Mariann, asks him to come and help her with her will. Tom sets off to South Africa and decides to bring his camera. This starts a journey for the filmmaker and his grandmother, looking back at her life and trying to understand his own.