Jan Heijs

Valley of Sighs

In the eighties, the bachelors of the remote Spanish village of Plan in the Pyrenees followed the example of an American Western: in an advertisement, they called on marriageable women in the ages from twenty to forty to come to their village. The appeal led to piles of reactions and a convoy of eager women. The impressive three-day party yielded a few marriages, but the frivolous action could not deliver Plan from the worrying exodus. The tough farm work still appeals to only a few women, no matter how imposing the view on the inaccessible Pyrenees may be, both in summer and winter. Director Carin Goeijers filmed the inhabitants during their daily activities at home and on the land and asked them about their loves and lives. She alternates the present with beautiful historical footage of the legendary women's convoy.

Toda una vida

The Rey Gitano Circus in Guatemala is a genuine family business. After their father’s death, the five Lopez brothers run the operation with their mother. However, the widow has resolutely taken over at the helm, which makes it hard for the sons. But her strict management style and frugality bear fruit: the circus grows, the audiences come flocking in. The brothers all play different roles during the show: Christiaan has his tigers and Paco does a trapeze act; Jim is a clown and Jerry entertains the crowd as the ringmaster. The more business flourishes, the more tensions rise among the brothers. They all dream of starting their own circuses, being their own bosses, but none of them has yet succeeded. One ill-fated day, Paco leaves the circus, abandoning his family. But the appeal of circus life appears too strong, and blood turns out to be thicker than water.

Procedure 769: The Witnesses to an Execution

Procedure 769 is the document that lays down how a prisoner is to be executed. For the first time in 25 years the procedure was again followed in California, USA. On April 21, 1992, just before 6 am, Robert Harris stepped into the bright green light. All witnesses had a valid reason to watch. For one is was a democratic duty, another wanted to see justice served, some wanted to help the condemned in the last moments of his life. They all looked at the same: a dying man. Yet each saw different things happen.