Cloaca (TV 2003)

Four old college friends in their forties come together in a time of trouble and despair. Old joy relives, but the harsh reality of their problems can't satisfy them and eventually endangers their friendships.

Director:

Willem van de Sande Bakhuyzen

Writers:

Maria Goos (play), Maria Goos (screenplay)

Stars:

Peter Blok, Pierre Bokma, Gijs Scholten van Aschat

5 wins & 2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Peter Blok	...	Tom
Pierre Bokma	...	Pieter
Gijs Scholten van Aschat	...	Joep
Jaap Spijkers	...	Maarten
Elsie de Brauw	...	Conny
Caro Lenssen	...	Laura
Marleen Stolz	...	Helena (as Marleen Stoltz)
Eric Schneider	...	Brest
Genio De Groot	...	Jacques Vermeulen (as Genio de Groot)
Marcel Hensema	...	Lighting designer
Jeroen Spitzenberger	...	Actor in play
Benjamin de Wit	...	Actor in play
Marnix Stassen	...	Percussionist
Dianne Krijnen	...	Colleague
Iwan Walhain	...	Drug courier on moped

Storyline

The relationship of four old college friends in trouble is renewed when they get dependent on each other. Pieter doesn't want to give back eight valuable paintings he took from the art depot of the municipality for each year as a birthday present. To help him, he requests the help from Tom, once a lawyer, but now a drug addict. Politician Joep, quarrelling with his wife and in the race for becoming a member of the Dutch cabinet, is hiding at Pieter's place. Joep's daughter is actress in a play of stage director Maarten. Secretly Maarten is having sex with her and he is looking for an opportunity to tell. For some time the friendship of the four is revived, but are they willing to go through fire and water for one another?

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Plot Keywords:

friendship | college friend | birthday | drug addict | sex | 

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Genres:

Drama | Comedy

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Details

Official Sites:

A-Film [nl] official site [nl]

Country:

Netherlands

Language:

Dutch Russian English

Release Date:

23 October 2003 (Netherlands)

Also Known As:

Cloaca - Alte Freunde

Filming Locations:

Amsterdam, Noord-Holland, Netherlands

Company Credits

Production Co:

IDTV Film, AVRO Television, CoBo Fonds

Technical Specs

Runtime:

108 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The movie is based on the successful stage play with the same name, also written by Maria Goos. The four main actors are the same as in the theatre version.

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Quotes

Pieter: I rather, to be honest, want to select something from the nil-depot. That is a cellar under the town-hall where all the more or less written of art is stored. Most is garbage. 800 square metres full of uglyness, that really is bad Tom.

User Reviews

Cloaca shows that there are still good Dutch movies.

2003 was a good year for Dutch Cinema. Not only did we see the success release of 'Van God Los' and 'Phileine zegt sorry', 2003 also saw the release of Cloaca. This movie will appeal to a smaller audience than the other two i just mentioned, but if you read this, go see it. The movie is about four former student buddyies who meet each other in their mid-40ties. One just left his wife, another was a top lawyer but had a nervous breakdown. The 3th guy has a legal battle with his boss, and the last is a director of a stage play, and he is screwing his main actress, the 18 year old daughter of his best friend. The 4 meet and see that their dreams in college have not exactly come true. The question is, is there still a way out for any of them. This may sound like the beginning of a feel good movie, but it isn't. cloaca is funny, dark, depressing and ultimately without mercy. A must see.