Mildred Van Leeuwaarden

A Letter from Helga

In a remote fjord in 1940s Iceland, young farmer Bjarni and aspiring poet Helga begin a passionate, forbidden affair, emotions running as wild as the ocean waves that surround them.

Hunters

14 year old Yuri has a strong bond with her father, border patrol guard Lorenzo, dubbed 'The Hunter': not only because he is good at his job, but also because he is a passionate huntsman. In winter, when the snow blurs the contours in the landscape Yuri turns 15. Lorenzo decides that she is now old enough to carry their family's generational rifle. Lorenzo, Yuri and her uncle Ivan drive deep inland to go on a hunting trip for a few days. But Yuri's 'rite de passage', this celebration and almost ritual initiation, takes a disastrous and irrevocable turn. Lorenzo struggles to place the impact the tragedy has on their lives.

Silent Ones

A young Hungarian woman (played by Hungarian actress Orsi Tóth) wakes up inside a crashed car in the middle of nowhere, not knowing where her brother Isti is. Upset and alone, she leaves aboard a cargo ship to keep a promise she made to him. Once at sea, she withdraws into a dream world and loses grip on her life completely.

Reykjavik-Rotterdam

A former sailor who has served prison sentences for alcohol smuggling fights to keep his family afloat. He is offered pay for a last tour of cargo between Reykjavik and Rotterdam. He agrees, in the hope to get out of debt, but unexpected events occur.

Don't Catch My Face

People. Young and old, fat and thin, black and white. Sand, sea, wind and clouds, a day at the beach. In the background, the decor of ships entering and leaving port. Ego and vanity, machismo, insecurity and unconditional love, brought together on a small stretch of land. Don't Catch My Face is an ode to life.

Disorder in Progress

A short film made for City Life (1990)