The Invisible Ones

Martijn Blekendaal

THE INVISIBLE ONES

There are children who by necessity have learned to make themselves invisible. Invisible because they are ashamed. Invisible because their environment demands it of them. Invisible because otherwise they are not sure of their lives. Filmmaker Martijn Blekendaal also learned to make himself invisible. He thinks there should be a superhero for these ‘invisible’ children. In The Invisible Ones, he tells the stories of four children – some of whom are now 85 years old – who mastered the art of remaining unnoticed.

Those children include Mrs Walvisch, who managed to keep quiet as a mouse during the Second World War. But also a man, nicknamed ‘Little Brother’, who has surrounded himself with hundreds of coloured lights and plastic flowers since the darkness of his hiding. Or Samir, a boy who wants to tell his story but has to remain invisible to ensure his own safety. And finally, the Palestinian Mohammed, who lived an invisible life for years because of his sexual orientation. To flee the violence in Gaza and enter Europe, he had to make himself invisible again.

These impressive life stories prompted an investigation into the development of the invisible hero in film history. In order to eventually bring to life an invisible superhero who can watch over all invisible children as a guardian angel. The Invisible Ones is therefore a tribute to invisible children and the superpowers in all, even the most ordinary people.

Selected for Youth Competition IDFA 2024

Interview IDFA Youth Film Programmer Niki Padidar
Interview by IDFA Martijn Blekendaal

Director Martijn Blekendaal already showed with his award-winning The man who looked beyond the horizon that his playful, dynamic style of storytelling appeals to a wide young audience. He takes his young audience very seriously: they have just as wide an interest as adults and they do not need to be protected from reality. It’s only about how you tell a story.

“The film THE INVISIBLE ONES is a quest for invisibility and, although set up as an experiment, it is not an experimental film. Striving to engage the widest possible audience with my story plays an important role in my creative choices. With THE INVISIBLE ONES, a conscious decision was made to make a film that ties in with a popular genre, the superhero film.”

When you walk out of the theatre, you look at your surroundings differently. You now see people you hadn’t necessarily noticed before, and attribute unsuspected qualities to them. A super talent even: the ability to be invisible. In turn, vulnerable young people feel more empowered.

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credits
script and diretor Martijn Blekendaal
cinematography Pim Hawinkels
sound Benny Jansen
edited by Laura Brouwer and Martijn Blekendaal
research Lieve Sonderen
composer Sebastiaan Koolhoven
sounddesign Peter Warnier
archive research Gerard Nijssen and Madée Hofenk
interactive performance design Keez Duyves and Ruud Lanfermeijer
creative technologist final scene Keez Duyves
line producer Julia van Schieveen
VFX producer Wiendelt Hooijer
commissioning editor Marije Meerman and Barbara Truyen (VPRO)
co-producer Bram Crols and Mark Daems for Associate Directors (BE)
producer Willemijn Cerutti for Cerutti Film (NL)


This film was supported by
The Netherlands Film Fund, The Netherlands Film Production Incentive, CoBO, NPO fund, Fonds 21, The Tax Shelter measure of the Belgian Federal Government through Flanders Tax Shelter and Flanders Audiovisual Fund (VAF).