() is a Dutch film directed by . It was filmed in 1942 and released in 1944. It is based on the play () by Henk Bakker. It was the only large Dutch feature film produced during the Second World War.

Cast The cast consisted of:

Production The film is based on the play () by Henk Bakker, which premiered before the Second World War.

In early 1942, the film companies Filmfabriek Polygoon and Profilti together acquired the rights to the play. The working title for the film was (). The production of the film was primarily intended to keep the actors and technicians occupied.

During the occupation of the Netherlands, Dutch film companies were only allowed to produce small films that would be shown as a pre-film before a long German film. The Germans wanted to prevent manifestations of national character in longer Dutch movies. In May 1942, the companies inquired whether the leader of the film guild Kultuurkamer and leader of the (State Film Censorship), , would approve the movie. Teunissen then sought approval from the Germans. The Germans at first advised negatively, considering it '' () and '' (), but apparently later gave permission. Unlike its predecessors, the movie was made without any Jewish-Dutch participation (in contemporary press "foreign").

The companies were ready to film in July 1942 and starting filming that summer. The exterior filming took place at Castle Vorden and the interior filming took place at Profitli's studios in The Hague.

In December 1942, the movie was ready for review. The authorities demanded amongst others that the sentence '' () had to be changed into '' (), but otherwise approved the film.

Release In January 1943, it was announced that the premiere would take place in February 1943 in in Amsterdam. For unknown reasons, the premier did not take place it would take another year before the film was first shown in cinema, on 17 March 1944. There was little interest in the film, and it quickly disappeared from theaters.

The movie was re-released after the liberation of the Netherlands in 1945.

Reception The film received mostly negative reviews. called it a "a rather salty affair" in , while called it "flabby, weak, and characterless, old-fashioned and unconvincing" in .

The Nazi press admitted the film had no 'cinematic qualities', but wanted to give the Dutch film industry the benefit of the doubt and saw the film as a first step. For example, SS journalist Sybren Modderman wrote in the : "Once this production reaches full fruition, it will constitute an enrichment for the film industry of the Germanic countries, for it will add a unique facet of its own."

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