LUISTER / LISTEN

A film by

the Netherlands | 15' | 11/2017 | documentary

Life can seem pretty overwhelming at times, particularly when you're growing up. And it’s not always easy to talk to your parents or friends about your problems. Fortunately, the "Kindertelefoon" (Child Helpline) in the Netherlands provides a listening ear. LISTEN presents a cross-section of conversations between children and the Kindertelefoon. One girl talks about being home alone virtually all week; another's sad because her parents are getting divorced. A boy in an asylum seekers' center is worried about the future, while another boy doesn’t want to be gay and hopes these feelings will pass. Every day, the Kindertelefoon takes calls like these from children who want someone to talk to. But children also call to talk about their pets, to practice their audition for The Voice Kids or to make pranks. The recordings of these phone conversations are accompanied by images that quite literally give color to the conversations, and that beautifully reflect their tone—sometimes hilarious or naughty, but more often sad or heartrending. 

Astrid Bussink

Biography

Astrid Bussink (1975) studied at AKI ArtEZ Art and Design in Enschede and her MA in film at the Edinburgh University in Scotland. During her studies she made the worldwide award-winning documentary The Angelmakers (2006). After The Lost Colony (2008) and My Enschede (2010), she directed several children’s documentaries: Wool Fever, The Hideout (Golden Calf 2013) and Giovanni en het waterballet. This last one was awarded many prizes internationally, amongst which IDFA, Berlinale and Full Frame.

Filmography

  • Giovanni and the water ballet – 2014 – 17’ (youth documentary)
  • Wool Fever – 2013 – 14’ (youth documentary)
  • The Hideout – 2012 – 15’ (youth documentary)
  • Poem of Death – 2012 – 30’
  • My Enschede – 2010 – 53’
  • The Lost Colony – 2008 – 90’
  • Rückenlage / Upside Down – 2006 – 9’
  • The Angelmakers – 2006 – 30’
Square Eyes - Director - Astrid Bussink - Square Eyes

Crew

Director: Astrid Bussink
Producer: Een van de Jongens: Hasse van Nunen, Renko Douze
Cinematographer: Sander Roeleveld
Sound & Sound Design: Tim van Peppen
Editor: Riekje Ziengs
Production Design: Sanne Houwing
Music: Yvo van Gemert, Bartho Weayen
Line producer: Merle Bemelmans, Lotte Kwak, Britte Hermans
In association with: KRO-NCRV

Festivals

  • International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam, the Netherlands (15 – 26 November, 2017)
    IDFA Competition For Kids&Docs Won: IDFA Special Jury Award for Children’s Documentary
  • One World International Human Rights Documentary Film Festival, Czech Republic (5 – 14 March, 2018)
    Official Selection
  • Internationaal Filmfestival Assen | Vrouw & Film, the Netherlands (11 – 12 March, 2018)
    KersVers Competition
  • DOCVILLE, Belgium (21 – 29 March, 2018)
    Supporting film for 69 Minutes of 86 Days.
  • Go Short – International Short Film Festival Nijmegen, the Netherlands (11 – 15 April, 2018)
    Dutch Competition Won: Best Dutch Short Film
  • CinéDOC-Tbilisi – International Documentary Film Festival, Georgia (3 – 8 May, 2018)
    Official Selection
  • International Short Film Festival Oberhausen, Germany (3 – 8 May, 2018)
    Children’s and Youth Film Competition Won: ECFA Short Film Award & Special Mention Youth Award
  • Doc Edge Festival, New Zealand (9 May – 4 June, 2018)
    Official Selection & Docs 4 Schools
  • Millennium Docs Against Gravity Film Festival, Poland (11 – 20 May, 2018)
    OkiDoki
  • Mo&Friese Children’s ShortfilmFestival Hamburg, Germany (3 – 10 June, 2018)
    Official Selection
  • Cinema in Sneakers – Film Festival for Children & Youth, Poland (7 – 17 June, 2018)
    Children Short Film Competition
  • Drunken Film Fest, United Kingdom (14 – 21 July, 2018)
    Official Selection
  • Lundäng International Film Festival, Sweden (26 – 28 July, 2018)
  • Seattle Transmedia & Independent Film Festival, United States (26 – 29 July, 2018)
    Official Competition
  • En Plein Public, Netherlands (8 – 24 August, 2018)
    Official Selection
  • Zomerparkfeest, the Netherlands (9 – 12 August, 2018)
    Short Film Program
  • Encounters Festival, United Kingdom (25 – 30 September, 2018)
    Competition
  • Nederlands Film Festival, the Netherlands (27 September – 5 October, 2018)
    Gouden Kalf Competition & Educational Program
  • DocFest Documentary Film Festival, the Netherlands (28 – 30 September, 2018)
    Official Selection
  • Heart of Gold International Film Festival, Australia (4 – 7 October, 2018)
    Official Competition
  • Films That Help You Grow Festival, Lithuania (4 – 14 October, 2018)
    Educational Program
  • DOKUart, Croatia (6 – 12 October, 2018)
    Official Selection
  • Indiecork, Ireland (7 – 14 October, 2018)
  • International Competition 
  • International Short Film Festival of Cyprus, Cyprus (13 – 19 October, 2018)
    International Competition
  • Astra Film Festival, Romania (15 – 21 October. 2018)
    Astra Film Junior
  • Cinekid, the Netherlands (17 – 26 October, 2018)
    Best Dutch Short Film Competition Won: Best Dutch Short Documentary
  • Filem’On – International Film Festival for Young Audiences, Belgium (24 October – 3 November, 2018)
    ECFA DOC Award Competition Special Mention
  • Mumbai Film Festival, India (25 October – 1 November)
    Half-Ticket Competition ­Won: Best Short Film(5-9 years old)
  • Doxs! Dokumentarfilme Für Kinder Und Jugendliche, Germany (5 – 11 November, 2018)
    Official selection
  • Braunschweig International Film Festival, Germany (5 – 11 November, 2018)
    Short Film Program
  • Internationale Kurzfilmtage Winterthur, Switzerland (6 – 11 November, 2018)
    Youth Competition 12+
  • DOC NYC, United States (8 – 15 November, 2018)
    Official Selection
  • International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam, the Netherlands (14 – 25 November, 2018)
    Educational Program
  • Roshd International Film Festival, Iran (16 – 23 November, 2018)
    Official Competition Honorary Diploma
  • KUKI / teenscreen – International Short Film Festival for Children and Youth, Germany (18 – 25 November, 2018)
    Documentary Program 10+
  • interfilm – International Short Film Festival, Germany (20 – 25 November, 2018)
    Documentary Competition Special Mention
  • Two Short Nights Film Festival, United Kingdom (28 – 30 November, 2018)
    Official Competition
  • Porto/Post/Doc: Film & Media Festival, Portugal (24 November – 2 December, 2018)
    School Trip Programme
  • Olympia International Film Festival, Greece (1 – 8 December, 2018)
    Competition Won: Jury Award for Best Short Film Award for Short & Medium-length Documentary
  • Education Film Festival, France (4 – 8 December, 2018)
    Official Competition
  • Eindhoven Film Festival, the Netherlands (6 – 10 December, 2018)
    Official Selection Won: Best Documentary
  • Providence Children’s Film Festival, United States (15 – 28 February, 2019)
    Official Selection
  • New York International Children’s Film Festival, United States (22 February – 17 March, 2019)
    Official Selection
  • JEF Festival, Belgium (23 February – 10 March, 2019)
    Documentary Competition Won: Best Short Documentary – Professional jury
  • Docudays UA International Human Rights Documentary Film Festival, Ukraine (22 – 30 March, 2019)
    DOCU/YOUNG
  • Salem Film Fest, Belgium (29 March – 4 April, 2019)
    Official Selection
  • Atlanta Film Festival, United States (4 – 14 April, 2019)
    Documentary Shorts Competition Honorable Mention
  • KIKI International Film Festival For Kids, Croatia (8 – 12 April, 2019)
    Competition Special Mention
  • Rigas Pasaules Filmu Festivals, Latvia (25 – 28 April, 2019)
    Childrens program
  • Chesnok Film Festival, Moldova (13 – 19 May, 2019)
    Official Selection
  • Rolle Vörwarts Kurzfilm Fur Kinder Und Jugendliche, Germany (14 – 16 May, 2019)
  • Icedocs – International Documentary Film Festival, Iceland (17 – 21 July, 2019)
    Kids Program
  • GazteFilmFest, Spain (22 November – 1 December, 2019)
    Official Selection
  • IBAFF – Festival Internacional de Cine de Murcia, Spain (28 February – 7 March, 2020)
    Children’s Section