In "Fanfare" two rival cafe bosses cause a split of the local brass band. The animosity between the two ensuing brass bands quickly gets out of hand.
"Fanfare" is situated in the fictional village of Lagerwiede which in reality is Giethoorn. Giethoorn is a small place in the North of Holland where canals in stead of roads are the most important traffic-infrastructure. Director Bert Haanstra makes effective use of this in a visual gag when two cows are passing each other without moving, as if on an assembly line. When the camera zooms out it turns out that both cows are standing on small vessels sailing through the canal.
In between the two competing clans is an engaged couple, adding a kind of "Romeo and Juliet" element to the story. This element is however very benign and with a much happier ending.
All in all the mood of the film is very innocent and characteristic of the 50s in Holland. In those days Holland was very law abiding. The mayor of Lagerwiede is seen as a sort of father figure and the villagers are portrayed as sort of frolic but in essence benevolent children.
For director Bert Haanstra "Fanfare" was his debut feature length film and in Holland it was an instant success, to be surpassed only by "Turkish delight" (1973, Paul verhoeven). For an international audience Haanstra may be more well known as the writer of the Tati production "Traffic" (1971). A year later Haanstra would make the documentary "Instinct for survival" (1972). In this documentary human behaviour is compared with the behaviour of animals. In "Fanfare" Haanstra already shows his fascination with this subject. Behaviour of the characters (for example argueing vehemently) is frequently compared to the behaviour of the ducks in the canals (for example chattering loudly).
