Stranger in Paradise

A film by

the Netherlands | 73' | 11/2016 | documentary

"We don’t want you. We just can’t do it." In a classroom, a teacher uses math to explain to a group of newly arrived migrants what their arrival will cost society. The asylum seekers try to refute the figures. They will work, won’t they, and contribute to society? The teacher shatters their illusions: half of them will never find work. In three acts, director and screenwriter Guido Hendrikx reflects on the power relations between Europe and refugees. A blunt film essay in which the teacher receives three groups of migrants, each time adopting a different attitude: dismissive in the first part, then full of empathy and good will in the second, being dispassionate in the third. This brutally direct classroom exercise is enclosed with a buzzing prologue and reflective epilogue, stressing the absurdity of the power relation.

Square Eyes - IDFA Opening 2017
Square Eyes - IDFA First Appearance 2017
Square Eyes - IDFA Award Stranger
Square Eyes - IDFA Opening 2017
Square Eyes - IDFA First Appearance 2017
Square Eyes - IDFA Award Stranger

Guido Hendrikx

Biography

Guido Hendrikx was born in Eindhoven in 1987 and studied Liberal Arts & Sciences (Utrecht University), Directing Documentary & Screenwriting (Netherlands Film Academy), and Practical Ethics (Utrecht University). His award-winning shorts Escort (2013) and Among Us (2014) were featured at film festivals throughout the world. His feature debut Stranger in Paradise (2016) was the opening film of IDFA 2016. It was theatrically released in cinemas in Italy, the UK, Belgium and The Netherlands and nominated for the European Film Awards: best documentary. Guido Hendrikx wrote several screenplays (short, mid-length, feature) in collaboration with other directors (Ena Sendijarevic, a.o.) and worked as a curator for the video department of The Correspondent. “Camerapersona’ is his newest work.

Filmography

  • Camerapersona – 2021 – feature documentary
  • Stranger in Paradise – 2016 – feature documentary
  • Among Us – 2014 – short documentary
  • Escort – 2013 – short documentary
Square Eyes - Director - Guido Hendrikx - Square Eyes

Crew

Director: Guido Hendrikx
Screenplay: Guido Hendrikx
Producer: Frank van den Engel
Cinematographer: Emo Weemhoff
Sound design: Tijn Hazen
Sound recording: Taco Drijfhout
Editor: Lot Rossmark
Composer: Ella van der Woude & Juho Nurmela
Executive producers: Elize Kerseboom, Julia van Schieveen, Fleur Welter
Delegate producer: Erik Glijnis
Commissioning editor: VPRO – Barbara Truyen
Actor: Valentijn Dhaenens

Festivals

  • International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam, the Netherlands (16 – 27 November, 2016)
    First Appearance & National Competition – Opening film Won: IDFA Special Jury Award for Dutch Documentary
  • DOCfeed Film Festival, the Netherlands (17 – 19 February, 2017)
  • True/False Film Fest, United States (2 – 5 March, 2017)
    Official Selection
  • Movies That Matter, the Netherlands (24 March – 1 April, 2017)
    Official Selection Won: MovieZone MTM Award
  • CPH:DOX Copenhagen International Documentary Film Festival, Denmark (16 – 26 March, 2017)
    DOX:AWARD Competition
  • Docville – International Documentary Film Festival, Belgium (22- 30 March, 2017)
    Outside the Dox
  • Wisconsin Film Festival, United States (30 March – 6 April, 2017)
    International Documentary selection
  • Minneapolis St Paul International Film Festival, United States (13 – 29 April, 2017)
  • Ismailia International Film Festival, Egypt (19 – 25 April, 2017)
    Documentary Competition
  • Crossing Europe Filmfestival Linz, Austria (25 – 30 April, 2017)
    Documentary Competition
  • Montclair Film Festival, United States (28 April – 7 May, 2017)
  • True Stories: New Non-Fiction From Europe, United States (3 – 7 May, 2017)
  • fest Muenchen, Germany (3 – 14 May, 2017)
    International Competition
  • DOCUMENTAMADRID – International Madrid Documentary Festival, Spain (4 – 14 May, 2017)
    Fugas Feature Film Competition Special Mention
  • Human Rights Arts and Film Festival, Australia (4 – 18 May, 2017)
  • European Film Festival, Romania (5 – 29 May, 2017)
  • DocLands Documentary Film Festival, United States (10 – 14 May, 2017)
  • Doc Edge Film Festival, New Zealand (10 May – 5 June, 2017)
    Official Selection
  • DocuTIFF – Tirana International Documentary Film Festival, Albania (10 – 17 May, 2017)
    Feature Documentary Competition Won: Best FRAME
  • Docaviv International Film Festival, Israel (11 – 20 May, 2017)
    Depth of Field Competition
  • CinéDOC – Tbilisi, Georgia (11 – 16 May, 2017)
    International Competition Won: Student Jury Award
  • TRT Documentary Days, Turkey (11 – 15 May, 2017)
    Panorama
  • Docs Against Gravity Film Festival, Poland (12 – 21 May, 2017)
    Fiction/Non Fiction competition & Amnesty International competition Won: Best Actor-Director Collaboration in a Fiction/Non Fiction Film Award & The Amnesty International Award Jury Special Mention
  • Freiburger Film Forum, Germany (22 – 28 May, 2017)
  • Encounters South African International Documentary Film Festival, South-Africa (1 – 11 June, 2017)
  • Sheffield Doc/Fest , United Kingdom (9 – 14 June, 2017)
    Official Selection
  • Biografilm Festival – International Celebration Of Lives, Italy (9 – 19 June, 2017)
    First Feature Competition Won: Hera “Nuovi Talenti” Award & Audience Award
  • Norwegian Short Film Festival, Norway (14 – 18 June, 2017)
  • Salina Doc Fest – International Festival of Narrative Documentary, Italy (24 – 29 June, 2017)
  • Atlàntida Film Fest, Spain (26 June – 2 July, 2017)
    Official Selection
  • European Film Festival Palic, Serbia (15 – 21 July, 2017)
    Young Spirit of Europe
  • San Francisco Jewish Film Festival, United States (20 July – 6 August, 2017)
    Thematic Spotlight program
  • FIRST International Film Festival Xining, China (21 – 27 July, 2017)
    Out of competition: Xining Image
  • Guanajuato International Film Festival, Mexico (21 – 30 July, 2017)
    Official Long Documentary Selection
  • Dokufest – International Documentary and Short Film Festival, Kosovo (4 – 12 August, 2017)
    FAKE IT SO REAL focus
  • Esperanzah, Belgium (4 – 6 August, 2017)
    Migration focus program
  • Split Film Festival – International Festival of New Film, Croatia (9 – 16 September, 2017)
    Special program
  • Camden International Film Festival, United States (14 – 17 September, 2017)
    Official program
  • Message to Man International Film Festival, Russia (15 – 22 September, 2017)
    International Competition Won: Student Award, Fipresci Prize, Russian Press Prize
  • Nederlands Film Festival, the Netherlands (20 – 29 September, 2017)
    Gouden Kalf Competition & Forum van de Regissurs
  • DMZ Korean International Documentary Film Festival, South Korea (21 – 28 September, 2017)
    International Competition
  • Impugning Impunity Human Rights Documentary Film Festival, United States (22 – 24 September, 2017)
    Official Competition
  • Manaki Brothers – International Cinematographers Film Festival, Macedonia (23 – 30 September, 2017)
    Out of competition: Documentary program
  • Bergen International Film Festival, Norway (26 September – 4 October, 2017)
    Documentaire Extraordinaire Competition
  • Nuremberg International Human Rights Film Festival, Germany (27 September – 4 October, 2017)
    International Forum
  • Festival di Internazionale a Ferrara, Italy (28 September – 1 October, 2017)
    Mondovisioni
  • DOCUMENTAQRO – International Documentary Film Festival, Mexico (28 September – 8 October, 2017)
    Official Selection
  • Milwaukee Film Festival, United States (28 September – 12 October, 2017)
    Competition
  • Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival, United States (6 – 15 October, 2017)
    Official Selection
  • IndieCork Festival, Ireland (8 – 15 October, 2017)
    International Competition
  • Antenna Documentary Film Festival, Australia (11 – 16 October, 2017)
    International Competition
  • DocsMX International Documentary Film Festival, Mexico (12 – 21 October, 2017)
    International Feature Competition
  • DokuBaku, Azerbaijan (14 – 20 October, 2017)
    Official selection: Testing reality
  • Document Human Rights Film Festival, United Kingdom (19 – 22 October, 2017)
    Official Selection
  • Africa International Film Festival, Nigeria (29 October – 4 November, 2017)
    Feature Film Competition
  • Porcuna Film Festival, Spain (31 October – 5 November, 2017)
    Official Selection
  • Panorama of the European Film, Egypt (8 – 18 November, 2017)
    Documentary Rendez-Vous
  • European Film Forum SCANORAMA, Lithuania (9 – 19 November, 2017)
    Official Documentary Section
  • Certamen de Cine de Viajes, Spain(10 – 12 November, 2017)
  • L’Alternativa, Festival de Cine Independiente de Barcelona, Spain (13 – 19 November, 2017)
    International Competition
  • CEME DOC – Internation Documentary Film Festival, Mexico (14 – 21 November, 2017)
    Official Selection
  • Porto/Post/Doc: Film & Media Festival, Portugal (27 November – 3 December, 2017)
    International Competition
  • this human world – International Human Rights Film Festival, Austria (30 November – 10 December, 2017)
    Official Selection
  • EU Human Rights Film Days, Turkey (1- 14 December, 2017)
  • Premiers Plans, France (12- 21 January, 2018)
    Out of Competition: Figures Libres
  • Budapest International Documentary Festival, Hungary (24 – 28 January, 2018)
    Official competition
  • Boulder International Film Festival, United States (22 – 25 February, 2018)
    Official Selection
  • One World International Human Rights Documentary Film Festival, Czech Republic (5 – 14 March, 2018)
    Out Of Competition
  • Sofia International Film Fest, Bulgaria (8 – 18 March, 2018)
    International Documentary Competition
  • Human Rights Film Fest Geneva, Switzerland (9 – 18 March, 2018)
    Creative Documentary Competition Won: Grand Prix De Geneve
  • Ljubljana Doc Film Festival, Slovenia (14 – 21 March, 2018)
    Official Competition Special Mention
  • One World Romania International Human Rights & Documentary Festival, Romania (16 – 25 March, 2018)
    Competition
  • University of San Francisco Human Rights Film Festival, United States (5 – 7 April, 2018)
  • Europe On Screen, Indonesia (3 – 12 May, 2018)
    Realities
  • Human Rights Nights Film Festival, Italy (4 – 13 May, 2018)
    Official Selection
  • Taiwan International Documentary Film Festival, Taiwan (4 – 13 May, 2018)
    International Competition
  • Zsigmond Vilmos International Film Festival, Hungary (9 -12 May, 2018)
    European Film Festival Palic Presentation
  • Diaspora Film Festival, South Korea (18 – 22 May, 2018)
    Official Selection
  • Macao International Documentary Film Festival, China (14 July – 4 August, 2018)
    Official Selection
  • Rudnik Film Festival, Russia (30 July – 5 August, 2018)
    Official Selection
  • Faito DOC Festival, Italy (6 – 12 August, 2018)
    International Competition Won: Ottica Sacco Award
  • CineMigrante International Festival of Film and Formation of Immigrant Human Rights, Argentina (18 – 26 September, 2018)
    Official Selection
  • Festival Internationale Signes de Nuit, France (4 – 14 October, 2018)
    Official Selection
  • One World Film Festival, Slovakia (11 – 16 October, 2018)
    Official Selection
  • Bristol Radical Film Festival, United Kingdom (12 – 14 October, 2018)
    Official Selection
  • Festival International du Film des Droits de l’Homme de Guadeloupe, France (12 – 19 October, 2018)
    Official Selection
  • Festival des Libertés, Belgium (18 – 27 October, 2018)
    International Competition
  • Human Rights Through Cinematography, Pakistan (25 November – 10 December, 2018)
  • Rencontres Internationales du Cinéma d’Oran, Algeria (15 – 20 December, 2018)
    Official Selection
  • Peloponese International Documentary Festival, Greece (18 – 27 January, 2019)
    Official Selection
  • Bif&st-Bari International Film Festival, Italy (27 April – 4 May, 2019)
    Special program: Torture, Human Rights, Cinema
  • Snapshots From The Borders, Italy (3 – 5 August, 2019)
  • Global Migration Film Festival (28 November – 18 December, 2019)

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