Mariken

A movie that's in my Top 2 of Dutch movies ever. It's funny, wise, layered, creative, playful and the dialog amazingly fluent and refreshing. A feel good movie disguised as a kids' fairytale - especially since its setting is the Middle Ages - but utterly capable of catching the minds and hearts of an adult audience. It illustrates the evolution of the mindset of the Dark Ages into a Humanistic way of thinking with more room for psychological, physical and spiritual autonomy. The cast delivers a solid performance and includes some of the best Dutch speaking actors you can find. A little gem, reminding us of the freedom of thought, speech and imagination that so often gets shackled as one grows "wiser".