Photo MediaVita Student house De Burlenburgh is better known by the name Villa Sanoer. Ceres students have lived in the stately villa with its sprawling gardens with their landlord Robert Best since 1953. The villa is located at the borders of the Eng.
The documentary (links to Dutch content) follows the -exclusively male- residents and their special bond with their elderly landlord. Cinematographer Job van Dijk (Media Vita) got to know the exceptional home five years ago when his son started studying in Wageningen. The unique stories about Best and how he lives with his tenants gripped him from the start.
This is such an extraordinary story; I felt compelled to film it
Job van Dijk, director/producer Media Vita
‘I work by assignment’, Van Dijk explains. ‘I direct and produce films commissioned by clients. But this is such an extraordinary story; I felt compelled to film it, which I have done, together with my colleague Britt van Mechelen. The movie is not subsidised, and several people have selflessly contributed.’
The documentary covers five years of life in the villa. Van Dijk: ‘We filmed for a total of 21 days, one day every few months. Sometimes we were aware of an upcoming event such as a party, but there were also days on which we had no idea of what would happen.’
Monumental task
Van Dijk selected from the abundant material to make a documentary of over an hour. A monumental task, made possible, in part, by corona. ‘All of a sudden, my calendar was empty, and I had no commissions. So, I started working on the documentary. It took me one hundred days.’ The result, however, gathered dust for over a year due to the corona crisis.
The documentary tells the story of freedom, Van Dijk says. ‘Freedom played a crucial role in Robert Best’s life. Literally, as he was held captive in a Japanese internment camp in the Dutch-Indies. But also the freedom to achieve his dream of making Villa Sanoer into what it currently is. For the boys, the freedom to be who they are.’
Having been permitted to film this is unique
A central theme is the changing role of the boys. ‘As a result of Best’s ageing, they increasingly become his caregivers. How do they cope with that responsibility? How does this affect their proud landlord and the boys? And, where does it end? That tension is an important topic in the film.’
Registering
‘Having been offered the opportunity to film all this is unique’, Van Dijk says, looking back on the adventure. ‘And, with full consent of those involved. Of course, there were moments it was better not to shoot; everything was decided through dialogues. The film neither judges nor condemns. We just register. From a fly-on-the-wall perspective. It is so natural.’
There is a special Avant premiere tonight for former tenants and those directly involved, with a gathering at Ceres afterwards, of course. The film is open to the general public as of Sunday evening. The interested audience is so large that the planned three shows have been extended with a further six.
