RIGA IFF online: Grāmata par visu

Ineke Houtman
The Book of Everything
Het Boek van Alle Dingen
NL, LV
2023, 90’, nl
Age 7+

The 1960s, Netherlands. Thomas doesn’t realise it yet, but he has special powers. The nine-year-old sees things others cannot. He lives in a strict, religious family where his father, quick to cite the word of God, often resorts to violence. As a sense of injustice grows within him and a longing for freedom takes hold, Thomas begins writing his Book on Everything. In it, he wishes for his father's punishment and encounters a host of unusual characters: Jesus Christ, a levitating lady with a piano-loving cat, tropical fish swimming in city canals, a young peg-legged witch living next door, and many others.

The film highlights the importance of imagination, curiosity, and courage, reminiscent of the broad themes in Michael Ende’s Neverending Story. Dutch writer Gus Kuijer’s witty and expansive novel of the same name, published in 2004, has gained immense popularity not only in the Netherlands but across Europe. At its core, the story emphasises the comforting power of imagination as a solution to life's challenges. Veteran Dutch director Houtman has brought Kuijer’s works to the silver screen multiple times. Their latest collaboration was screened at the prestigious Italian children's film festival Giffoni and produced by the Latvian film studio White Picture.