Mijn broer

When Bart, the 28-year-old brother of filmmaker Koert Davidse, died in 1986, no one spoke about the mysterious illness causing his death: AIDS. In their Zeeland family, where a culture of silence prevailed, Bart’s coming out was also never spoken about. Gripping documentary, weaving a deeply personal story with broader themes.

In his most personal film to date, filmmaker and producer Koert Davidse (Thou Shalt Not Kill – Train Hijack De Punt) explores, forty years later, the free-spirited life of his older brother. Their relationship was once symbiotic, but Bart’s move to Amsterdam and the art academy created distance between them. Just as they were growing closer again, Bart passed away – a traumatic event that profoundly affected Koert’s life.

Despite its personal nature, the film also addresses larger themes, such as the social developments of the 1980s. What was the impact of HIV on those infected, on friends, family members, and on medical science? At the same time, Davidseobserves that the hard-won freedoms of the LGBTQIA+ community are by no means self-evident in an era of increasing restrictions.