Stones Have Laws @ IDFA 2018
Stones Have Laws (86mins) a film essay by directors Lonnie van Brummelen & Siebren de Haan premieres – in Feature Length competition and in Dutch competition – @ IDFA 2018
Majestic shots of the forest and the alternately serene and turbulent river set the scene, while members of the Surinamese Maroon community, who are descended from runaway slaves, shed light on their world. They show us how they live, how they consult their ancestors and forest spirits, and how this is all integrated with the use of modern tools.
In reenacted situations—set deep in the forest, along the river or around a campfire—village elders and younger men and women talk about the history of their people and the spirits of the natural world around them. A broad spectrum of subjects unfolds, including the dramatic escape by one of the ancestors, the struggle against the Dutch colonists, and the binding laws of trees and boulders. Desolate landscapes draft a grim picture of the far-reaching effects of the arrival of mineral-hungry multinationals.
But to start off, members of the Maroon community discuss their feelings about the film. Should they put their trust in the good intentions of the filmmakers?
For more information about Stones Have Laws on IDFA 2018
research, script, photography, sound, montage Lonnie van Brummelen | Siebren de Haan Surinamese co-director Tolin Alexander translation of the script into Saramaka and Aucan Vinije Haabo | Tolin Alexander adaptation for the screen Van Brummelen | De Haan in collaboration with Darek Szai Szendel main advisors Dorus Vrede | Hugo Jabini | Vinije Haabo | Paitoja Saaki | Corine Spoor | Joney Doekoe | Naltus Naana | Quinsy Sinei produced by Van Brummelen & De Haan | IDEAL Film | seriousFilm | VRIZA Surinamese line producer Ann Hermelijn
the film was supported by the Netherlands Film Fund | Netherlands Film Production Incentive | Mondriaan Fund | Fonds 21 | AFK (Amsterdam Fund for the Arts)