A feature film by the Limburg director can be watched all over the world on Netflix

Ordinary people

In short episodes, the Anne + series tells the story of young Anne (Hanna van Vliet) and the friends she hangs out with. Each part of the LGBTI community is in its own way and completely open to each other. They all have to deal with struggles and struggles, but the series – and now the movie – also show that they have a wonderful life, where they can be completely themselves. “Queres (collective term for non-heterosexuals, ed.) at Anne+ are normal guys who, like everyone else, have happy moments, but sometimes also have to deal with, say, heartbreak. We also wanted to show what makes us special as queers. “.

Valerie and screenwriter Maud Wijmer certainly succeeded in the latter. The series also opens the eyes of “outsiders”. Sympathetic characters are depicted and each of them is recognizable. In the relationships they get into, they encounter issues that each person in love with the other has to deal with. Remarkably, they don’t make a killing pit out of their hearts and say what they think. The latter can sometimes cause a sudden reaction in the current era, where boundaries are being redefined. “It’s about the guys who know each other very well and know exactly how far they can go,” Valerie says of the explicit language spoken in the series.

Valerie realizes that the relationship between young Anne and her older (female) boss at the publishing house where she works is inextricably linked to current events. “We wanted to show that anything is possible in principle, as long as it’s done with mutual consent. In the series, Ann makes very clear that this is the case for her.”

Anne + the movie – in which the main character is finalizing her first book and is also about to immigrate to Canada – premiered in cinemas in mid-October last year. “In less than two months, the film has attracted more than 30,000 visitors,” Valerie said. “Excellent result, especially in light of the restrictions that have been implemented recently.”

new ideas

Valery does not yet know how she will continue and what the future will bring her. You will think about this in the coming months. International penetration is a thing. You find funding so you can continue to do beautiful things in the field of film in a second. It’s certainly not that we suddenly have huge budgets. We have a number of new ideas on the shelf. Perhaps with global interest in Anne’s project, it could be implemented more easily. But first I will enjoy success for a while.”