7 years (2007)

7 years is my biggest filmproject so far. When I was living In Nairobi, Kenya I got in touch with a lesbian girl and her stories triggered the idea to make a film about homosexuality in Kenya. I wrote a filmplan and a scenario and I applied at different funding organisations in The Netherlands. In the end three Dutch NGO's sponsored the project: Youth Incentives, NCDO and Hivos. Through my friend I got to know more and more people in the scene and quiet a few wanted to be interviewed with a camera. I was actually surprised by the openess of the gays and lesbians I met in a country where homosexuality is still illigal by law. Apart from homosexuals I interviewed social workers, a hairdresser and even a priest. I edited the film and produced the DVD myself and I found the Dutch broadcasting station MVS willing to show the film on their regional channel. After this and a screening at the International Documentary Film Festival in Amsterdam I got a lot of positive response within The Netherlands and I decided to pitch 7 years abroad. So far the film has been screened at over 20 (film)festivals across the world, from Cape Town to Turin and from New York to Bilbao. I visited some of these festivals myself to present the film and answer questions from the audience. In North America (Mexico, USA and Canada) the film is being distributed by Frameline, a distributor of LGBT Media. You can watch the full length film here. More information about the film and a list of festival screenings can be found here.

7 years is my biggest filmproject so far. When I was living In Nairobi, Kenya I got in touch with a lesbian girl and her stories triggered the idea to make a film about homosexuality in Kenya. I wrote a filmplan and a scenario and I applied at different funding organisations in The Netherlands. In the end three Dutch NGO's sponsored the project: Youth Incentives, NCDO and Hivos. Through my friend I got to know more and more people in the scene and quiet a few wanted to be interviewed with a camera. I was actually surprised by the openess of the gays and lesbians I met in a country where homosexuality is still illigal by law.

Apart from homosexuals I interviewed social workers, a hairdresser and even a priest. I edited the film and produced the DVD myself and I found the Dutch broadcasting station MVS willing to show the film on their regional channel. After this and a screening at the International Documentary Film Festival in Amsterdam I got a lot of positive response within The Netherlands and I decided to pitch 7 years abroad. So far the film has been screened at over 20 (film)festivals across the world, from Cape Town to Turin and from New York to Bilbao. I visited some of these festivals myself to present the film and answer questions from the audience. In North America (Mexico, USA and Canada) the film is being distributed by Frameline, a distributor of LGBT Media. You can watch the full length film here. More information about the film and a list of festival screenings can be found here.