The Reality of Jan Vrijman

It is impossible to imagine the Dutch cultural stage in the second half of the 20th century without journalist, filmmaker and columnist Jan Vrijman (1925-1997). For more than 50 years, he was there as a spectator, a reporter and a participant; as the inventor of the Dutch word for "greaser" in 1955; as the perpetrator of the first TV riot in 1957 with "Hello Queen's Day"; as the director of many remarkable films, including the initially controversial Reality of Karel Appel (1962); and for his daily column in the Parool newspaper, which he wrote from 1985 until his death in May 1997. When he died, husband and father of four Jan Hulsebos died along with him. Jan Vrijman was a dynamic, energetic, passionate individual. By contrast, Jan Hulsebos had a difficult life, plagued by depression and insomnia, eternally struggling with existence. These two personalities, united in one man, caused a great deal of confusion and uncertainty, primarily within the sphere of the Hulsebos family. In this film, Jan's eldest daughter Fabie goes looking for that other man, that Jan Vrijman. She investigates his motives and the work he left behind, and in the process, she and the viewer both get to know the man behind her father. (International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam)