22/11/2012 - The Dutch comedy-drama Family Is All, a sequel of sorts to the hit Love Is All, is released on 141 screens today (November 22)

One of the biggest Dutch hits in recent memory, the romantic comedy Love is All [+see also:
trailer
film profile] from 2007, sold almost 1.4 million tickets.

Directed by Joram Lürsen and written by actress-turned-screenwriter Kim van Kooten, the film, set around the Dutch feast of Saint Nicholas and loosely inspired by British Christmas hit Love Actually [+see also:
trailer
film profile] starred a large ensemble headed by Dutch star actress Carice van Houten.

Five years later, Lürsen, Van Kooten and Van Houten have rejoined forces for a new project, called Family Is All [+see also:
trailer
film profile], which, while not strictly a sequel, hopes to attract as many viewers.

Van Houten now plays Winnie, a successful therapist and writer of self-help books who wants to have a baby, which isn't all that easy since her music producer husband, Rutmer (Thijs Römer), is sterile.

The film examines the travails of Rutmer's extended family, including his good-for-nothing brother (Benja Bruijning, in what's described as a breakout performance), his brother-in-law (Jacob Derwig), who still isn't over the death of his wife, and his parents (Kees Hulst, Martine Bijl), who are approaching their wedding anniversary but don't seem all that happy.

The film had its red-carpet premiere last Monday at the De La Mar Theatre in Amsterdam, an event that was shown live in 57 cinemas across the country, where the film premiered simultaneously. A-Film officially releases the film today on 141 screens, the highest ever number for a Dutch film.

The film was produced by Frans van Gestel and Arnold Heslenfeld for Topkapi Films, in association with broadcaster VARA and with backing from Netherlands Film Fund, NPO, CoBO Fonds, the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science and the Suppletiefonds.