Introduction

Winter in Wartime (Dutch: Oorlogswinter) is a 2008 Dutch war film directed by Martin Koolhoven. The screenplay was written by Mieke de Jong, Paul Jan Nelissen, and Martin Koolhoven based on Jan Terlouw’s eponymous 1972 novel.

In the Nazi-occupied Netherlands, a teenage boy gets involved in the Dutch Resistance after coming to the aid of a wounded RAF pilot.

Outline

A teenage Dutch boy, named Michiel van Beusekom, tries to assist the Dutch resistance during World War II by helping a British airman stay out of German hands during the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands.

Michiel feels resentment towards his father, the mayor, who is seemingly only interested in maintaining the status quo between the town and the German Army. However, Michiel worships his Uncle Ben, an adventurer in contact with the local resistance. During the winter of 1944–1945, Michiel’s loyalties are tested.

An RAF de Havilland Mosquito is hit in the air and crashes, but before it hits the ground, a young British airman is able to escape by parachute.

One of the villagers, Dirk (the elder brother of Michiel’s best friend), helps the airman, Jack, but Dirk is later arrested. Before his arrest, Dirk gives Michiel a letter to be delivered to Bertus, the village blacksmith. Before Michiel can deliver the letter, Bertus is shot and killed by the Germans.

Michiel opens the letter, which directs him to Jack’s hiding place in the forest. Jack is injured, and Michiel enlists the aid of his sister Erica, a nurse, to take care of him. Jack and Erica soon develop a romantic relationship.

Michiel’s father is arrested when the body of a German soldier, killed by Jack on the night of the plane crash, is found in the forest. Jack wants to turn himself in to save Michiel’s father, but Ben tells Michiel he (Ben) can save his father. Ben’s efforts fail, and Michiel’s father is shot by the Germans along with two other men as reprisal for the death of the soldier.

Michiel tries to take Jack to meet his contact in the town of Zwolle, across the River IJssel, but the Germans foil their attempt, and the two narrowly escape after a horseback chase through the forest. Michiel finally turns to his Uncle Ben for help in getting Jack to Zwolle. Ben agrees, and goes to have a smoke with Jack, who is now hiding in a shed at the bottom of their garden.

The next morning, Michiel goes to the shed to check on Jack, but he is not there. He finds him in Erica’s room, in bed with his sister. After this, Ben, Jack, and Erica set off for the bridge to Zwolle. As they leave, Ben tells Michiel that Dirk should never have gotten Michiel involved with Jack. After they go, Michiel realises that he had never mentioned Dirk’s role to Ben. Quickly checking Ben’s suitcase, he finds papers showing that Ben is working for the Germans.

Rushing to the river, Michiel stops the trio, grabs Jack’s pistol, and confronts Ben. While Michiel guards Ben, Jack and Erica succeed in making it across the river to Zwolle. Ben tells Michiel that he had arranged for his father to be released, but that his father refused to let another villager be shot in his place. Ben attempts to escape to a passing German patrol, but Michiel shoots and kills him.

A few months later, Allied soldiers enter the village and are rapturously welcomed by the villagers. One of the soldiers brings a letter for Erica, presumably from Jack. Michiel hesitates to join in the celebrations after all that has happened, but finally joins in.

Cast

• Martijn Lakemeier as Michiel van Beusekom
• Yorick van Wageningen as Oom Ben
• Jamie Campbell Bower as Jack
• Raymond Thiry as Vader van Beusekom
• Melody Klaver as Erica van Beusekom
• Anneke Blok as Moeder van Beusekom
• Mees Peijnenburg as Dirk Knopper
• Tygo Gernandt as Bertus
• Dan van Husen as Colonel Auer
• Ad van Kempen as Schafter

Production

The film’s budget was estimated to be €4 million.

Filming locations in the Netherlands included the community of Herwijnen in the province of Gelderland, Lopik in the province of Utrecht, Zwolle in Overijssel as well as the communities of Megen and Woudrichem in North Brabant. The area around the old town hall of Megen, as well as the building itself, doubled as the location where the Germans had their headquarters.

Two other locations were situated in Lithuania, in Silute and Vilnius.

Release

The film premiered in Amsterdam on 17 November 2008. It was released in Belgium on 03 December 2008 and in Germany was shown at the Berlin International Film Festival in February 2009. Other film festivals where Winter in Wartime was shown include the South Korean Pusan International Film Festival, the Rome Film Festival, the Palm Springs International Film Festival, and three Canadian European Union Film Festivals.

Box Office

Approximately 900,000 people in the Netherlands and 60,000 people in Belgium saw the film in cinemas.

Awards and Nominations

The film was chosen by the Dutch Critics as the best Dutch film of 2008; it won the PZC Audience Award (best movie based on a novel), three Rembrandt Awards, and three Golden Calf awards. Also, it was chosen as Best Film by the Young Jury (14-18 years) at the Rome Film Festival and was shortlisted (with eight other movies) at the Academy Awards, in the section Best Foreign Language Film.

Trivia

• The film was hugely successful in the Netherlands, out-grossing competing films like Twilight and The Dark Knight.
• Additionally, it was the highest-grossing film in the Netherlands during Christmas 2008 and the first weeks of 2009.
• The majority of the movie was filmed in Lithuania due to the absence of snow in the Netherlands.
  • Artificial snow was used in some of the scenes that were filmed in the Netherlands, and digital snow was sometimes added in post-production.
  • Shots had to be carefully constructed to prevent backgrounds that were obviously free of snow from being revealed.
• The novel was originally aimed more at children, and was, according to writer Jan Terlouw, about taking responsibility.
  • Director Martin Koolhoven decided to make the film with a more mature audience in mind, and more of a coming of age story about a boy who believes himself to be an adult already.

Production & Filming Details

• Director(s):
  • Martin Koolhoven
• Producer(s):
  • Antonino Lombardo … co-producer
  • San Fu Maltha … producer
  • Niko Post … line producer
  • Maars van Haaften … assistant line producer
  • Els Vandevorst … producer
  • Jan Vrints … associate producer
• Writer(s):
  • Martin Koolhoven … (screenplay)
  • Paul Jan Nelissen … (screenplay)
  • Jan Terlouw … (novel)
  • Mieke de Jong … (screenplay)
• Music:
  • Pino Donaggio
• Cinematography:
  • Guido van Gennep … director of photography
• Editing:
  • Job ter Burg
• Production:
  • Isabella Films B.V.
  • Fu Works
  • Isabella Films
  • Max TV
  • Lietuvos Kinostudija
  • Prime Time
• Distributor(s):
  • Benelux Film Distributors (Netherlands, 2008)(theatrical)
  • Benelux Film Distributors (Belgium, 2008)(theatrical)
  • Kaleidoscope (Ireland, 2009)(theatrical)
  • Kaleidoscope (United Kingdom, 2009)(theatrical)
  • Mongrel Media (Canada, 2011)(theatrical)
  • Sony Pictures Classics (United States, 2010)(theatrical)
  • Future Film (Finland, 2012)(cropped to 1.77:1, DVD)
  • HBO Hungary (Hungary, 2011)(TV)
  • Kaleidoscope Home Entertainment (United Kingdom, 2009)(DVD)
  • Netflix (Netherlands, 2018)(limited, TV)
  • Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (United States, 2011)(DVD)
  • Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (United States, 2011)(Blu-ray, DVD)
  • Video Film Express (Netherlands, 2009)(Blu-ray)
  • Video Film Express (Netherlands, 2009)(DVD)
• Release Date: 31 May 2008 (DVD premiere, Philippines) and 17 November 2008 (premiere, Amsterdam, Netherlands).
• Running time: 104 minutes.
• Rating: 12A.
• Country: Netherlands.
• Language: Dutch.

Video Link(s)