De tweeling (2002)

Director:

Ben Sombogaart

Writers:

Tessa de Loo (novel)
Marieke van der Pol (screenplay)

Release Date:

12 December 2002 (Netherlands)

Genre:

Drama | Romance | War

Tagline:

Verbonden Voor Het Leven, Gescheiden Tot De Dood. (Bound For Life, Separated Until Death.)

Plot:

Twin Sisters is an epic love story based on the Dutch bestseller by Tessa de Loo that has been read by more than 3.5 million readers in Holland and Germany.

Plot Keywords:

Twins | Love | Epic | Female Nudity | Frontline

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 5 wins & 6 nominations

Cast

Sina Richardt	...	Anna Bamberg, young
Julia Koopmans	...	Lotte Bamberg, young
Thekla Reuten	...	Young Lotte
Nadja Uhl	...	Young Anna
Ellen Vogel	...	Old Lotte
Gudrun Okras	...	Old Anna
Betty Schuurman	...	Mother Rockanje
Jaap Spijkers	...	Father Rockanje
Roman Knizka	...	Martin
Margarita Broich	...	Martha
Ingo Naujoks	...	Uncle Heinrich Bamberg
Barbara Auer	...	Charlotte
Jeroen Spitzenberger	...	David
Hans Somers	...	Bram
Hans Trentelman	...	Mr. De Vries
Marieke van Leeuwen	...	Mrs. De Vries
Katrin Pollitt	...	Frau Stolz
Jean-Paul Maes	...	Herr Stolz
Markus von Lingen	...	Bernd
Germain Wagner	...	Priest Jacobsmeyer
Marco Lorenzini	...	Father Grosalie
Jan Horsburgh	...	Mother Grosalie
Pia Röver	...	Hannele
Monique Reuter	...	Liesl
Pieter Riemens	...	Civil Service Agent 1
Serge Tonnar	...	Civil Service Agent 2
Patrick Hastert	...	Watchcommander
Harpert Michielsen	...	German soldier in garden #1
Yoeri van Dreumel	...	German soldier in garden #2
Arie Rustenburg	...	German soldier in garden #3
Manfred-Paul Hanig	...	Falkenau
Christian Kmiotek	...	Singing German officer
Manfred Tornelli	...	Offizer
Stephan Pritz	...	German officer #1
François Kwiatkowski	...	German officer #2
Michael Rasche	...	German officer #3
Helmut Kellner	...	German officer #4
Sascha Ley	...	Woman in bus #1
Daniela Ebert	...	Woman in bus #2
Petra-Lina Schulze	...	Woman in bus #3
Sophie Knijff	...	Nurse at sanatorium
Mieke De Groote	...	Doctor
John van de Watering	...	Passenger
Frédéric Frenay	...	Father of Anne and Lotte
Michael 'Indy' Whiting	...	American soldier
Joseph Gudenburg	...	Gunther
Hans-Peter Leu	...	Hermann
Stéphan Koziak	...	Old Polish Worker
Sascha Migge	...	Soldier at dance party #1
Mike Tock	...	Soldier at dance party #2
Olivier Deutsch	...	Soldier at dance party #3
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Stefan Weinert	...	German officer
Jean-Michel Nepper	...	Offizer (uncredited)

Directed by
Ben Sombogaart

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Tessa de Loo		novel
Marieke van der Pol		screenplay

Produced by
Hanneke Niens	....	producer
Anton Smit	....	producer
Jani Thiltges	....	co-producer
Madelon Veldhuizen	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Fons Merkies

Cinematography by
Piotr Kukla

Film Editing by
Herman P. Koerts

Casting by
Elsa Dinjens
Heta Mantscheff
Martha Mojet
Michelle Muller
Valérie Schiel
Jeannette Snik

Production Design by
Michel De Graaf

Set Decoration by
Petra Weber

Costume Design by
Linda Bogers

Makeup Department
Patrick de Loor	....	hair stylist
Aurélie Elich	....	makeup artist
Winnie Gallis	....	makeup supervisor
Joël Seiller	....	additional hair stylist
Bianca van der Steen	....	assistant makeup artist

Production Management
Ada Goossens	....	assistant production manager
Sandra van der Oest	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Helmut Binder	....	third assistant director
Birna Bjornsdottir	....	third assistant director
Alexandre Brown	....	third assistant director
Johan Ivens	....	first assistant director
René Jonkers	....	second assistant director
Maud Kieft	....	first assistant director
Beatrice Pettovich	....	second assistant director
Estelle Tourscher	....	third assistant director
Kai Westendorp	....	assistant director
Eddy Stevesyns	....	assistant director: second unit (uncredited)

Art Department
Ricardo Galvao	....	swing gang
Joep Gerritsen	....	art department coordinator
Guy Hebeler	....	stand-by props assistant
Katja Hetsen	....	assistant set dresser
Gerdien Jansen	....	art department trainee
Valesca Meist	....	stand-by props
Stephanie Rass	....	assistant property master
Tiffany Rodenfels	....	lead man
Serge Siweck	....	swing gang
Sybille Spindler	....	graphics
Klaas Stuulen	....	prop runner
Marc Teunissen	....	set dresser
Petra Weber	....	props

Sound Department
Dan Edelstein	....	supervising sound editor: US release
Peter Flamman	....	sound mixer
Coen Gravendaal	....	sound
Philippe Kohn	....	boom operator
Philippe van Leer	....	foley artist
Wart Wamsteker	....	sound editor

Special Effects by
Alain Couty	....	special effects coordinator
François Gaubert	....	special effects
Jean-Pierre Moricourt	....	special effects

Stunts
Willem de Beukelaer	....	stunt coordinator
Willem de Beukelaer	....	stunts
Marco Maas	....	stunts
Ronald Schuurbiers	....	fighting instructors
Ronald Schuurbiers	....	utility stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Dick Bloemraad	....	best boy
Luc Brefeld	....	first assistant camera: underwater unit
Jowan Bruyninckx	....	clapper loader
Daan Dillo	....	key grip
Jacques Ghijsels	....	focus puller
Luc Hoeymakers	....	crane operator
Antoine Petiet	....	grip
Joost van Poppel	....	Steadicam operator
Dinand van der Wal	....	still photographer
Martijn van Kalleveen	....	electrician
Franc van Zutphen	....	gaffer

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Sue Geels	....	wardrobe supervisor
Ton Hermans	....	assistant costume designer
Vesna Libric	....	wardrobe assistant
Cengiz Orhan	....	wardrobe assistant
Jovana Sujdovic	....	wardrobe assistant
Natasja Theijn	....	assistant costume designer

Editorial Department
Sonja ten Boom	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Hans Ravestein	....	music mixer
Hans Ravestein	....	music recordist

Transportation Department
Svet Hrouchoff	....	picture vehicles

Other crew
Edwin de Vries	....	script editor
Ross Fraser	....	researcher
Ambroise Gayet	....	location scout
Richard George	....	assistant location manager: LUX
Hugo Heinen	....	script editor
Barbara Jurgens	....	script editor
Olga Madsen	....	consultant
Rhodé Maris	....	script supervisor
Ivo Martijn	....	distribution advisor
Brenda Matthijs	....	publicity manager
Gaby Meyers	....	security officer
Francois Muller	....	location security officer
Sébastien Peiffer	....	additional location assistant
Tiba Prins	....	production assistant
Joanne Reichling	....	production coordinator
Mannes Steve	....	location trainee
Ernie Tee	....	consultant
Trix van Alphen	....	publicist
Robbert van Dijk	....	operator: HotHead
Pieter van Rijn	....	creative assistant director
Christophe Vincent	....	location assistant

Production Companies

• IDTV Film
• Samsa Film

Distributors

• RCV Film Distribution (2002) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• RCV Film Distribution (2003) (Belgium) (theatrical)
• RCV Film Distribution (2003) (Luxembourg) (theatrical)
• Alfa Films (2004) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• Fine Films (2004) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Kamras Film Group (2003) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Kinowelt Filmverleih (2004) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Miramax Films (2005) (USA) (theatrical) (subtitled)
• Monopole-Pathé (2003) (Switzerland) (theatrical)
• Argentina Video Home (2005) (Argentina) (DVD)
• Argentina Video Home (2005) (Argentina) (VHS)
• Atlantic Film (2005) (Sweden) (DVD)
• High Point Film and Television (2002) (worldwide) (all media)
• Kamras Film Group (2005) (Finland) (DVD)
• RCV Home Entertainment (2003) (Netherlands) (DVD) (VHS)
• Yleisradio (YLE) (2007) (Finland) (TV)

Other Companies

• Location Consulting & Facilities  facilities vehicles

Also Known As:

Twin Sisters (Europe: English title)

MPAA:

Rated R for brief sexuality and a scene of violence.

Runtime:

137 min

Country:

Netherlands | Luxembourg

Language:

Dutch | German | English | French

Color:

Black and White | Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Finland:K-11 | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Brazil:12 | Chile:14 | Italy:T | Netherlands:12 | Singapore:R21 | UK:12A | USA:R | Germany:12 | Sweden:11

Filming Locations:

Amsterdam, Noord-Holland, Netherlands

Company:

IDTV Film

Goofs:

Factual errors: Anna and Martin are seen wearing their wedding rings on their left hands. In Germany and Austria however, people wear them on their right hands.

Movie Connections:

Featured in The 76th Annual Academy Awards (2004) (TV)

A fine Dutch export product.

Apparently "De Tweeling" or "The Twins" has been based on a very popular Dutch novel. I'm not able to compare the movie with the book, because I haven't read it yet, but I can and will tell you something about this movie and how I feel about it.

The movie starts in the 1920's when, after the death of their parents, the two twin sisters are separated at the age of six. One of them will stay in Germany where she'll have to work hard on her uncle's farm, the other sister will live with her upper middle class Dutch aunt and uncle in Holland. For many years the girls try to contact each other but both families are able to intercept their letters and to make them believe that the other sister is dead. While they both grow older and the Second World War affects their lives in a very profound way, both try to renew their bond several times, but fail time after time because of different reasons. Only at the end of their lives, they are able to forgive and forget...

Even though the movie has its weaker moments, overall this is some very nice and touching cinema. Especially the beginning and the end of the movie are hard to forget. And even though I'm not Dutch myself (I'm from their 'little neighbor' in the South), I could easily recognize the feelings between the Germans and the Dutch. I don't know if anybody has his or her doubts about that, but the movie exactly shows it as it was during those days (not that I experienced it myself, I was born more than 30 years after the war).

If you are looking for an alternative war movie, than this is certainly something for you. By alternative I mean that you won't see any soldiers fighting or bombs exploding, but you'll get an idea of how life was for the civilians who had to try to survive during the German occupation. Another reason why I call it alternative is because the movie does not only cover the small time period of 1938-1944, the period in which Europe was in the war. It tells the story between the 1920's and the present day.

What might be a bit confusing from time to time is the fact that the actors constantly switch between German and Dutch (especially at the end of the movie). Of course, when you don't understand anything of both languages and have to read the subtitles, you won't even notice. But anyway, I must congratulate the Dutch with this movie (as a Belgian this hurts a bit, hahaha). With this one, they have a nice movie they can be proud of. I give it a 7.5/10.