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Frouke Fokkema

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Frouke Fokkema
Born
Frouke Fokkema

(1952-02-12) 12 February 1952 (age 73)
Hilversum, Netherlands
Occupations
  • playwright
  • director
  • screenwriter
Years active1982–present

Frouke Fokkema (born on 12 February, 1952) is a Dutch playwright, screenwriter and film director. She best known for directing and writing Vigour which earned her a Golden Calf for best direction.

Early life and education

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Frouke Fokkema was born in Hilversum on 12 February, 1952 to an actrice and a Frisian sailor. She has been writing since she was eleven years old.[1] She went to middle school in Drachten, Friesland.[2] Upon finishing school, she desired to leave Friesland, as such she went to a kibbutz in Israel on her own, where she fell in love with farming.[2]

She attended a theatre school for six months before switching to a agriculture school based in Kerk-Avezaath for biodynamic agriculture where she stayed for three years.[2][1] Afterwards, she worked for a year at the garden therapy Emiliehoeve that was built for drug addicts. She also employeed at drug rehabilitation center Arta, based on Rudolf Steiner's anthroposophy teachings.[2]

She also worked at pig farm in Norway, a Limburgian fruit orchard and as a goat herder in the Pyrenees.[1] Between jobs she spend time on the estate of Leo Tolstoy, attend a Tibetan monastery and formed a personal friendship with Austrian author Thomas Bernhard.[1] With the work of Bernhard and staying in Bochum for an internship at the Bochumer emsemble caused her to rediscover her love for playwriting.[2]

Career

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Upon her return to the Netherlands, Fokkema began talking to numerous directors as she had decided that she had nothing to lose. Via Mady Saks, she came in contact with director Karst Woudstra, who asked her to continue writing. Most of these compositions early in her career would be autobiographical in nature and involve different aspects of her life.[2][3]

In 1982, Fokkema made her debut as a playwright with De Omweg.[4] For the story, she turned her meeting with Thomas Bernhard, into a semi-biographical play about a woman who works on a farm in the French Pyrenees that gets fascinated and falls in love with a famous writer and decides to visit him. Marlies Heuer and Dic van Duin played the woman and writer respectively, and directed by Dea Koert.[5] It was met positively by critics.[6]

For the 1984/1985 theater season, Fokkema wrote the play Darrenslacht for theater company Theater Persona. It was directed by Paul Vermeulen Windsant and Ansje Beentjes, Cor van Rijn and Erik de Vries starring. She wanted to explore the rural vs city dichotomy, as she has attended a agriculture school, has lived on farm and has kept bees.[4] The tale chronicles a relationship between a woman from the city and a beekeeper.[2] It was met a mostly negative critical response.[4][7] Writing for het Vrije Volk, Tineke Straatman criticized the "one-dimensionality" of the Buckfast character calling him "unconvincing" and a "boring cliché", and opined that Fokkema is unable to hide her irritations for certain back to nature folk.[4]

in 1985, she wrote the absurdist black comedy, De entourage van Emma, for television that was broadcast by VPRO on January 13, 1985. Its story revolves around an eccentric actrice and her two servants who are visited by a journalist. The Parool article characterized it as a bizar and confusing story, that is convincingly acted and called it as a worthwhile watch.[8] Fokkema first wrote it as a play years previously and it wasn't until program director Roelof Kiers picked up the project.[2]

Four of Fokkema's ten one-act plays would be performed by Toneelgroep Amsterdam under the name of De Nacht van Fokkema in 1987 around the Christmas days.[9][10] The plays in question were Vreemdgangers, Zwijgt, Drainage and Patronen.[9]

In 1988, Fokkema was tapped to write the adaptation of Geerten Meijsing's Veranderlijk en wisselvallig for First Floor Pictures.[11]

After establishing herself as a experienced and well-regarded playwright, she turned to film directing on the encouragement of film director Theo van Gogh. She wrote the script for Vigour three and half years before the release. The first idea of the movie came about when Fokkema lived in the atelier of painter Annemarie Fletcher, who created macabre paintings of the French countryside. She used the harshness and cruel parts of nature, agriculture and its people can be in contrast of the usually idealized image a tourist might have. Fokkema viewed the film as her closing her life with the countryside. Producer Matthijs van Heijningen boarded the project and De Trust theatre company was brought in to provide the acting talent with Theu Boermans taking on the lead role. She regarded the experience as satisfactory and was determined to continue her filmmaking career.[1] At its premiere at the 1990's Netherlands Film Days as the opening film,[12] it received a standing ovation from the audience.[13] Fokkema was given the Golden Calf award for Best Direction.[14] A year later, it was awarded the main price at the International Women's Film Festival by their jury. It was the single Dutch film at the festival.[15]

Three years after her debut film, Fokkema began working on her second feature film called It Will Never Be Spring with Hilde Van Mieghem, Thom Hoffman and Hans Croiset in the lead roles. Described as absurdist,[16] It follows a woman named Lin Lammertse in her thirties, during a boattrip with two friends, she begans reminiscing about an unhappy affair that involved sadomasochism.[17] Like the previous film, she was reluctant to direct the film herself and had to talk in to it by van Heijningen.[18] The film was screened at the 33rd International Critics' Week of the 1994 Cannes Film Festival.[19] Response to her second feature was more mixed.[20][21]

Around the same time, she kept writing plays for Toneelgroep Amsterdam and De Trust including one called Oh... Suzy Q, which she finished just before the premiere of It Will Never Be Spring.[18] Besides a reading of the script at a Festival, Suzy Q was never performed.[22]

After twelve years, a new text of hers would be performed on stage unlike her previous couple of plays that were turned into movies instead. In Brak, the plot revolves around a Dutch aristocratic family in particular an old painter who during World War II was deeply involved in high Nazi circles. According to Fokkema it was to explore on how to approach things made by terrible people.[3] The play was mostly panned.[23][24]

Fokkema approached producer Emjay Rechsteiner with her previously written Suzy Q play, she had a desire to turn into a feature film. The story revolves around a dysfunctional family in the 60s that meets Mick Jagger. The play was turned into a screenplay and Martin Koolhoven was hired as director. It starred in Carice van Houten in the lead role.[25] The television film adaptation of Suzy Q was awarded with several awards, including three at Festival International de Programmes Audiovisuels with one for best screenplay.[26]

In 2000, Fokkema adapted De Omweg into a feature film. The semi-biographical road movie drama took ten years to make.[3] Tamar van den Dop played the main character in the film. The movie made its debut at Netherlands Film Festival 2000, where Tamar van den Dop was nominated for best actress.[27] It would later go nationwide on November 9, 2000 to little noteriety.[28][29]

Fokkema was one of the writers on Marilyn Monroe: Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend that was performed by Matzer Theaterproducties in 2010.[30]

Vigour received a 4K restoration and a re-release as part of EYE Film Institute Netherlands's "Icons of Dutch cinema" in 2024.[31][32] Filmkrant described the film as having "earned" the icon label and named it a somewhat forgotten Dutch classic. They also regarded Fokkema's career as unfulfilled.[31]

Plays

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  • De Omweg (1982)
  • De darrenslacht (1985)
  • Vreemdgangers (1987)
  • Zwijgt (1987)
  • Patronen (1987)
  • Drainage (1987)
  • Brak (1999)

Filmmaking credits

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Year Title Director Writer Notes Ref
1990 Vigour Yes Yes [31]
1993 It Will Never Be Spring Yes Yes [16]
1999 Suzy Q No Yes Television film [25]
2000 De Omweg Yes Yes [33]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e van Lierop, Pieter (7 September 1990). "Frouke Fokkema over het wrede platteland". Nieuwsblad van het Noorden. p. 30. Retrieved 11 July 2025 – via Delpher.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h Alkema, Hanny (2 February 1985). "Naast schrijven is acteren een goede leerschool". Volkskrant. p. 13. Retrieved 13 July 2025 – via Delpher.
  3. ^ a b c Schaap, Wijbrand (19 May 1999). "Snelle auto als schuilplaats". Algemeen Dagblad. p. 23. Retrieved 13 July 2025 – via Delpher.
  4. ^ a b c d Straatman, Tineke (12 February 1985). "Frouke Fokkema vertilt zich aan 'Darrenslacht'". Het Vrije Volk. p. 17. Retrieved 11 July 2025 – via Delpher.
  5. ^ "Frouke's omweg". Het Vrije Volk. 30 November 1982. p. 15. Retrieved 13 July 2025.
  6. ^ Alkema, Hanny (11 September 1982). "Ontmoeting met schrijver wordt knap weergegeven". Volkskrant. p. 9. Retrieved 22 July 2025 – via Delpher.
  7. ^ Liefhebber, Peter (8 February 1985). "'De Darrenslacht' saai zoekplaatje van mager verhaal". De Telegraaf. p. 19. Retrieved 12 July 2025 – via Delpher.
  8. ^ de Swarte, Gijs (11 January 1985). "Bizar verhaal over actrice en dienstboden goed gespeeld". Het Parool. p. 2. Retrieved 12 July 2025 – via Delpher.
  9. ^ a b van Nispen, Maarten (23 December 1987). "Wie is dat toch, die Frouke Fokkema?". Het Parool. p. 4. Retrieved 15 July 2025 – via Delpher.
  10. ^ van der Burg, Jos (April 1994). "'Het liefst zou ik als een God boven de set zweven'". Filmkrant. Archived from the original on 22 July 2025. Retrieved 22 July 2025.
  11. ^ "Winnend boek van Geerten Meijsing wordt verfilmd". Trouw. 28 September 1988. p. 22. Retrieved 22 July 2025 – via Delpher.
  12. ^ "Debuut Fokkema opent tiende editie Filmdagen in Utrecht". Trouw. 30 August 1990. p. 19. Retrieved 22 July 2025 – via Delpher.
  13. ^ Koch, Eric (24 September 1990). "Frouke Fokkema kanditate voor Gouden Kalf". De Telegraaf. p. 11. Retrieved 12 July 2025 – via Delpher.
  14. ^ Koch, Eric (27 September 1990). "Geelukkig met Gouden Kalf". De Telegraaf. p. 7. Retrieved 22 July 2025 – via Delpher.
  15. ^ "Nederlandse vrouwenfilm bekroond". Algemeen Dagblad. 16 April 1991. p. 11. Retrieved 22 July 2025 – via Delpher.
  16. ^ a b ten Berge, Henk (14 April 1994). "Frouke Fokkema maakt het ons niet gemakkelijk". De Telegraaf. p. 23. Retrieved 13 July 2025 – via Delpher.
  17. ^ "Nieuwe film Frouke Fokkema". Algemeen Dagblad. 11 May 1993. p. 11. Retrieved 10 July 2025 – via Delpher.
  18. ^ a b Moorman, Mark (12 April 1994). "Kunst Ik heb het tarten en pesten laten zien". Het Parool. p. 6. Retrieved 22 July 2025 – via Delpher.
  19. ^ "33e Selecion de la Semaine de la Critique - 1994". archives.semainedelacritique.com. Retrieved 22 July 2025.
  20. ^ Beerekamp, Hans (13 April 1994). "Fokkema's moedige en van pijn doortrokken bekentenis". NRC Handelsblad. p. 9. Retrieved 22 July 2025 – via Delpher.
  21. ^ Stam, Huib (14 April 1994). "Wildgroei in gestuntel en gestamel". Volkskrant. p. 19. Retrieved 22 July 2025 – via Delpher.
  22. ^ Somers, Maartje (4 November 1994). "Kunst Ongespeelde stuk wordt gelezen". Het Parool. p. 11. Retrieved 22 July 2025 – via Delpher.
  23. ^ Schaap, Wijbrand (1 June 1999). "De Trust vervalt in gebral". Algemeen Dagblad. p. 21. Retrieved 22 July 2025 – via Delpher.
  24. ^ Bobhova, Hana (11 June 1999). "Grotesk en karikaturaal". Het Financieele Dagblad. Retrieved 22 July 2025.
  25. ^ a b Abrahams, Roger (19 September 2018). "In gesprek met Carice van Houten en Martin Koolhoven over Suzy Q". VARA Gids. Archived from the original on 22 July 2025. Retrieved 22 July 2025.
  26. ^ "Drie prijzen voor Suzy Q". Algemeen Dagblad. 27 January 2000. p. 23. Retrieved 22 July 2025 – via Delpher.
  27. ^ van der Graaf, Belinda (9 November 2000). "'Graag extremere rollen'". Trouw. Retrieved 2 November 2024.
  28. ^ "De omweg (2000)" [The detour]. Netherlands Film Festival. Retrieved 22 July 2025.
  29. ^ Hendriks, Annemieke (November 2000). "De omweg – Review". Filmkrant (in Dutch). Archived from the original on 20 February 2001. Retrieved 25 April 2022.
  30. ^ "Drie actrices voor die ene Marilyn". Het Parool. 3 May 2010. Archived from the original on 22 July 2025. Retrieved 22 July 2025.
  31. ^ a b c Broeren-Huitenga, Joost (13 November 2024). "Boer versus vrouw". Filmkrant. Archived from the original on 22 July 2025. Retrieved 22 July 2025.
  32. ^ Hoekstra, Cas (14 November 2024). "Kracht (1990): gerestaureerde Gouden Kalfwinnaar van Frouke Fokkema". VPRO Gids. Archived from the original on 22 July 2025. Retrieved 22 July 2025.
  33. ^ Verhaagen, Annelotte (19 May 2001). "De Omweg: entry". Filmjaarboek 2000. By Hans Beerekamp. International Theatre & Film books. p. 136. ISBN 9789064036002.
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