Dutch Focus Night

A special evening celebrating the Dutch Focus competition, full of personal, poignant and unique films. During Dutch Focus Night, the much-discussed feature film Truly Naked will be screened at 20:15 at Theater aan het Spui.

This coming-of-age film is the feature debut of Dutch director Muriel d’Ansembourg, who was immediately selected for the debut competition of the Berlinale Film Festival with her first full-length film—an honor rarely granted to Dutch filmmakers.

D’Ansembourg, who previously received a BAFTA nomination for her short film Good Night and won a Golden Calf with Fuck-A-Fan, is regarded as an emerging and fearless talent within European cinema. Her work is characterized by a female gaze and an unconventional approach to sexuality: she does not shy away from explicit imagery, but always uses it in service of the story and the search for authentic intimacy.

As part of the Dutch Focus Night, moderator Remke de Lange will lead an in-depth conversation with director Muriel d’Ansembourg, director of photography Myrthe Mosterman and intimacy coordinator Philine Janssens about the female gaze in Truly Naked — exploring the deliberate choices behind the camera, the collaboration on set, and what it means when women occupy the key creative roles in a film.

After the screening, Lessman will spin in the foyer of Theater aan het Spui. Also known as Ewa Minderman or the Queen of Hits, she has been a familiar name in The Hague’s DJ scene for years. Her sets are versatile and playful, packed with evergreens, alternative classics, the hottest remixes, and a touch of guilty pleasures. Expect (hyper)pop, R&B, house, rock, and a fresh dose of contemporary music.