R U There and Code Blue on the Croisette

by Boyd van Hoeij

23/04/2010 - After last year’s selection of The Silent Army, the Un Certain Regard section of the Cannes Film Festival (May 12-23) will again present a Dutch title this year: R U There [trailer, film focus], from director David Verbeek.

As in his previous feature, Shanghai Trance (Tiger Competition at Rotterdam 2008), Verbeek’s story again is largely set in Asia but features a Dutch protagonist, a professional gamer (Stijn Koomen) who falls for a Taiwanese girl he can only get close to in Second Life.

R U There was written by Rogier de Blok, who also penned the screenplay for their low-budget feature Beat from 2004 and Verbeek’s shorts. The IDTV Film production was also backed by France’s Les Petites Lumières and will be released in the Netherlands on June 17 through eye Film Instituut. Berlin-based Films Boutique handle international sales.

Amsterdam-based IDTV Film will have a busy festival this year, as their project Code Blue from writer-director Urszula Antoniak will be on the Croisette as part of the Cinéfondation Atelier. The director’s second feature after multiple Locarno and Golden Calf winner Nothing Personal [trailer, film focus] tells the story of a nurse who has only ever shared the intimacy of death with fellow human beings and is at a loss when circumstances force her to share something else.

Also in Cannes this year are the Dutch-produced Over Your Cities Grass Will Grow [trailer] by Brit director Sophie Fiennes (Out of Competition, produced by Kees Kasander); Un Certain Regard entry Adrienn Pal [trailer, film focus] from Hungarian director Agnes Kocsis (Dutch co-producer: Isabella Films), and Ukrainian Competition entry You, My Joy from Sergei Loznitsa (co-producer: Lemming Film).