The State of the Grass
Year: 2022
Length: 25 minutes
Logline:
In The State of the Grass we look through the eyes of a hedgehog and a magpie at the battle that the Dutch engage in with the grass of their lawn; and thus indirectly the battle with nature. Can this nature be tamed and what does that ultimately yield?
Synopsis:
In The State of the Grass, the battle that people are waging with their lawn is portrayed. We see that battle through the eyes of a hedgehog and a magpie. The magpie will mainly observe the people from above or from a distance and the hedgehog, on the other hand, sits close to it, scurrying through the plants.
The people who will be observed are everyday people who want to have a perfect lawn. They constantly have to overcome new obstacles in their search for the perfect grass. Through the eyes of the magpie and the hedgehog we experience their frustrations. But also the passion that people feel or the satisfaction when they have solved a problem.
The people who are in the picture will not be interviewed. We hear snippets of their conversations, from the perspective of the animals. People talk to their partners about the condition of their lawn, read the text of product packaging or information on their phone or I-pad. They comment aloud on their lawnmower or wish him a good night when he disappears into his loft. When the mole catcher comes, he tells the garden owner what exactly he is going to do and during the coffee he picks up his best mole catch anecdotes. Is installing a plastic lawn ideal?
The possibilities of solving problems with the grass seem endless, and so does man’s determination to control nature. This obsession with control and perfection produces absurd situations. What is the end station of this struggle? What kind of threat does this pose to the animals that live in a garden? And what does it ultimately mean for ourselves?
credits:
With the cooperation of: Martin Blees – Guido Blees – Henk Bouma – Jane de la Fosse – Remond Grimbergen – Rick Jonneneel – Peter van de Laar – Nathan Lauwers – Quint van Leeuwe – Eugenie van der Linden – Hendrik Eduard Mes – Anja Schutter – Richard van der Sluis – Mees Stoop – Rob Striecker – Arjan Stuijk – Dick Veel – Jaro Wester
screenplay & direction: Rashel van der Schaaf
camera: Marit Daams
drone: Jan Wich
sound: Tim Marsman, Sofie van der Meer
production manager: Dobber Bolhuis, Jasja Arian
editing: Wiesje van Amstel
sound design/mixing: Burak Öztaş
foley: Daimo da Costa
editor sound effects: Zita Leemans
re-recording mix: Jos van Galen
music: Jeremy van der Waard
postproduction image: Load Lux & Lumen
grading: Petro van Leeuwen
Thanks to: Theo Berkhout – Ellen Bouma, Jaap Mar Diemel – Dorien Haan, Kroos en Stichting Egelopvang Haarlem, Ria de Ridder – Jan van der Schaaf, Sharice van der Schaaf – Moira Schiffer, Marinus Schiffer – Talitha Schiffer, Bea Visser
Special thanks to: AVROTROS: José Schraauwers – Syrine Krabman – Jessica Raspe
Nederlands Filmfonds: Simone van den Broek
CoBo: Jeanine Hage
producent: Digna Sinke
The film was realized in the framework of Teledoc Campus
This film was produced by SNG Film in co-production with AVROTROS and with support from Nederlands Filmfonds, NPO, NPO-fonds, CoBO
© 2022 SNG Film & AVROTROS