Bridging the Gap

2008, NL. Directed by Corinne van Egeraat & Katja Draaijer.

Twenty-six-year-old Daniel Knoop is, as he phrases it at the beginning of the film, a member of a spoiled generation of 'paper idealism'. He chooses to put his idealism into practice, and travels to Cameroon as a development-aid worker, as part of a UN project involving the exploitation of natural resources. But can Daniel make a difference in a world that is obviously not his, not in the last place because his homosexuality is punishable there? Van Egeraat followed the level-headed man from Groningen for over a year for this intimate, layered portrait, a period in which Knoop's idealism is thoroughly put to the test, both in the professional and personal sphere. The film smoothly transects these two layers, so the professional struggles (with corrupted local authorities and the impeding bureaucracy of international relief organisations) are coloured by Daniel's personal doubts and frustrations.

Runtime

1h 25m

Post-credits

None listed

Language

NL

Rated

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