A Thousand Kisses

WILLEM VAN DE SANDE BAKHUYZEN — IDTV FILM — 2006


A Thousand Kisses is an adaptation of the book by Ronald Giphart and the last film that Willem van de Sande Bakhuyzen directed before his death in 2005. The film is about the complex relationship between Giph and Samarinde. Samarinde is a successful model that prefers her flourishing career above her doctor’s assistant degree in paediatrics. Giph is a janitor in the hospital where she works and an aspiring author. Their relationship is under considerable pressure due to the hopeless situation of Giph’s mother Lotti, who is suffering from multiple sclerosis. Where Giph is very introverted and individualistic with his feelings about it, Samarinde has a great need for him to stand out in front of her. When Samarinde is in Japan and totally unaware of a sudden decline in the state of Giph’s mother, Lotti chooses euthanasia to not sink deeper into her illness. The next time Giph speaks to his girlfriend by telephone, Lotti has died. This puts the relationship between the two lovers under further pressure and the situation explodes during a holiday with friends in Las Palmas.

 

awards
» Movie Squad Award, Best Film (Youth Jury 15-18 yrs.), Dutch Film Festival 2006