In the Netherlands and in Europe in general immigration is a big political issue the last couple of years. On the one hand cultural differences with mainly Islamic immigrants are perceived as problematic. On the other hand economic growth in countries with a shrinking indigenous population often depends on immigration.
"Tegendraads" (the film has no foreign language title but I would translate it as "A little rebellious" ) goes back to the origins of mass immigration / guest workers in the Netherlands, that is it goes back to Italian employees moving in to work in the textile industry in the eastern part of Holland.
In the beginning of the movie the cultural differences with the Italians are illustrated. Dinner at six PM is really a cultural shock for the Italians, as are dishes with mashed potatoes.
As innocent and maybe funny the above examples may seem, the atmosphere soon hardens. The young local employees are not amused when the Italian boys start te make an impression on the local girls. When the Italians are banned from bars and nighclubs it does not take long for riots to start. These riots are based on the so called "Spaghetti riots" from 1961. Not based on historical facts I suppose is the solidarity the local girls show with the Italians by leaving the bars and nightclubs (from which the Italians are banned) collectively at eleven PM.
A weakness of "Tegendraads" is the many themes it tries to cover in slightly more than two hours. Apart from the cultural problems with the Italian immigrants it covers:
Women emancipation in the form of a girl dreaming of a career of their own.
Rights of employees (in the textile industry) and trade unions.
The daughter of the owner of the factory being lesbian.
The two themes first mentioned (Italian immigration and women emancipation) are the most important ones. They become linked when the characters representing them become romantically involved. This romance for some time threatens to overshadow the "real" themes. In the end the film does however not have a romantic happy ending but an emancipatory happy ending.
