De Poolse bruid

I'm from the countryside of Groningen, where this magnificent film is shot. If you live here, you know there is some kind of strange and pleasant atmosphere floating on it's land..... The Algerian director Traïda showed that feeling spotless. The images of the endlessly flat open land and the little forests growing in it are perfect, the light and sky are done heavenly and very warm, something I miss in a lot of Dutch films. (this is personally by far the best Dutch flick ever) The story is about a typical lonely Groninger farmer living his life harvesting potatoes and mourning over the loss he has lived. Then all of the sudden a pretty Polish girl falls literally in his life after escaping from her pimp boss. The story is about the love that develops between the two and the changes they both have to go through to let it fit. I won't spoil it for you, just watch this amazing film and be open for the truly amazing beauty of the Groninger land and it's story.

Extremely recommendable for everyone around the world. A+ 10/10

The developement of the relation between Anna and Henk is unusual, that's also the reason why the movie is interesting and -in a special way- exciting. Especially the non-dialogues between them, with different reasons for each person. Henk is introvert and doesn't speak Polish, Anna simply doesn't speak Dutch. But from the beginning of the movie I sensed some kind of love and care from Henk to Anna, and vice-versa. It's touchy to see their 'love & tenderness' growing. Very 'romantic', for those who want to see it!

It's not a movie with many spoken lines in it. After all the two main characters hardly speak the same language. The movie allows its images to mostly tell the entire story. I sort of always like this, since after all that's also how movies were intended to be in the first place. The great camera-work and compositions of course help with this. It also makes the movie a slow going one but this works beautiful and effective for the movie its story and storytelling. Still, because the movie is rather short, it tends to rush things a little, especially toward the end. It's also the reason why the movie ends sort of on a false note.

This movie is a real character movie. Almost the entire movie focuses purely on just the two main characters. The characters don't explain anything to each other about how and what. They just accept things as they are and don't look back, even though the both of them, as implied, had issues in the past. They are definitely not at love at first but they also most certainly don't hate each other. They slowly and steadily grow- and open up toward each other and also learn from each other, in many different ways. It doesn't make this movie 'just' another unusual love-story but something that goes deeper and therefor also gets more effectively shown on the screen.

The movie gives a good portrayal of the farm life and the empty flat real peaceful nature. I think it's a real missed opportunity from Dutch film-makers to not shoot more movies there. It's cheap to make, also since you don't have to close down any roads or shops or stuff like that and it's of course beautiful looking, which really gives the movie a lot of atmosphere without having to manipulate or set up anything. And abroad, people always seem to like these type of movies and these movies, with this kind of atmosphere, have a fair chance at the international market and festivals. After all, this movie even received a Golden Globe nomination for best foreign film.

I never thought I would hear an Ede Staal song in a Dutch, or just any movie. Ede Staal and his music are unmistakably connected to the entire province of Groningen. His songs are often about the province and they perfectly capture the life, feeling and atmosphere of the province. So, one of his most famous songs 't Hogelaand' totally fits within the movie, captures its atmosphere and what it tries to tell.

Jaap Spijkers is a good actor, although I admit that he is a better actor now then he used to be 10 years ago, at the time of this movie. Or perhaps it's just that he isn't really the sort of actor for the leading type of roles. Same goes for Monic Hendrickx by the way, who at the time still was a rookie in the movie business. He did a fairly good job with his accent, although people who are actually not from Groningen but play a Groninger character always tend to make the accent sound way too thick.

The movie is about some relevant issues, such as Polish woman being forced to work in the prostitution in Western countries, the hard financial situation and time for Dutch farmers and the slinking population, amount farms and shops in the rural areas.

The movie is currently getting an Australian treatment as well, named "Unfinished Sky", again with Monic Hendrickx in the same role. The story will probably work the same but will the atmosphere as well? Doubtful, which is a negative thing, since it mostly was the atmosphere that carried the movie and almost entirely told the movie its story and emotions.

A really great and also certainly unique and a one of a kind movie. The Australian version won't change that.

8/10

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Coming from Holland, this movie is one of most unforgettable work teachers of the seventh art that narrates us a special history.

One night, Anna, a polish prostitute, escapes from two mafiosi, after being violated and hit. Henk, a dutch farmer finds her on the ground of in his lands, and decide to help her, to cure her, and giving a place her in his farm. Anna doesn't speak to Dutch, and Henk doesn't speak Polish. One of the communication methods that use is through the expressions. But Henk gives Anna a book in Dutch where she goes to learning the language. When being in the Dutch farmer's house, Anna works for the cleaning him the house, in exchange for money that then is send to her little daughter Krysztyna that is in Poland, and at the same time teaching him manners. But the dark times that her step, they return, since both mafiosi that bought her the they are looking for. Henk will make the possible to protect her. The love between both will reborn step by step. For her performance, Monique Hendrickx won the Best Actress Awards in Buenos Aires International Festival of Independent Cinema in 1999. Karim Traidia, dutch director of algerian origin, achieves a story that he talks about the love between two different people in culture. But the language is not everything, is only the feeling of both people, since it is said that the love surpasses all the barriers. My opinion: An advisable film that should see everybody. Excellent, Wonderful.

In "The Polish bride" a Polish woman (Monic Hendrickx), victim of women trafficking, finds refuge by a single farmer in the Dutch province of Groningen.

Their relationship is characterized above all by silence. The Polish woman has only a flawed knowledge of the Dutch language, and the farmer is not a heavy talker.

Partly caused by this lack of communication the relationship is arduous at first. The farmer appreciates the order that the woman creates in his household, but finds it difficult to get accustomed to the fact that no longer everything goes according to his rules. Especially when the woman insists on altering his table manners, tension arises. On the other hand the woman finds it hard to understand that a man is nice without expecting sexual favors in return.

Nevertheless as time goes by the two slowly grow together, resulting in a spectacular finale when the pimp of the woman reappears.

"The Polish bride" is an ode to the Dutch province of Groningen, with beautiful shots of the (flat) landscape and the music of the Groninger minstrel Ede Staal (1941 - 1986).

Remarkable is the fact that this ode to a Dutch province in the North of the country is made by an Algerian director who came th the Netherlands when he was 30, graduates from the film academy when he was in his 40s and made this film while being in his 50's.