Drie dagen vis

THREE DAYS OF FISH was the first film, I watched at the KVIFF and left a lasting impression on and inspired me until the end. The often reduced communication between men, especially when it comes to personal sensitivities and the expression of feelings, is subtly taken to extremes here. Father and son are at the centre of the story, both bizarre eccentrics in their own specific way. When the father returns to Rotterdam from Portugal for his annual visit home, which consists mainly of visits to the doctor and a few to friends and the cemetery, he is accompanied on his journeys by his son. Ritualised routines of the two and hilarious conversations about the changing world turn into a very real fear of loss and the impossibility of talking about their feelings and fears. In this film, Peter Hoogendoorn deals with his own family situation with an incomparable twinkle in his eye and is congenially supported by the two actors, Ton Kas and Guido Pollemans. The male speechlessness and the eloquent silence of the two protagonists are hilarious. Highly enjoyable with plenty of subtle wit and Nordic humour, the film gets the best from its dialogue from what is not said and leaves the viewer with a soulful, tiny, warm-hearted sadness. A wonderful gem of a film, reminiscent of Alexander Payne's masterpieces, which should definitely be discovered by an audience.