"De kavijaks" (2005) TV mini-series

User Rating:

7.2/10   

Director:

Stijn Coninx

Writer:

Marc Didden (writer)

Release Date:

2006 (Netherlands)

Genre:

Drama

Plot Keywords:

TV Mini-Series

Cast

Stef Aerts	...	Bolle 1
Jakob Beks	...	Herbergier
Celia Bogaert	...	Verpleegster
Warre Borgmans
Sjarel Branckaerts	...	Herbergier in Oostende
Kathlien Bridoux
Erik Burke	...	Dokter
Nand Buyl	...	Pépé
Chris Cauwenbergs	...	Bakker
Stephan Croughs
Tim David	...	Spille
Veva De Blauwe
Jan Decleir	...	De Generaal
Jenne Decleir	...	Piften 2
Sophie Decleir	...	Cecile
Aza Declercq
Kurt Defrancq	...	Veldwachter
Margot De Ridder	...	Jeanne 1
Arne De Tremerie
Tuur De Weert
Sien Eggers	...	Moeder
John Flanders
Ninke Gryp
Marilou Mermans
Dimitri Ophoff
Ivan Pecnik
Marc Peeters
Marijke Pinoy
Thomas Ryckewaert	...	Bolle 2
Mathijs Scheepers	...	Duits Adjudant
Jobst Schnibbe
Karlijn Sileghem	...	Ann
Adriaan Struys
Karin Tanghe	...	Visverkoopster
Wietse Tanghe	...	Piften 1
Bojan Van Damme
Lucas van den Eijnde	...	Schoolmeester
Rosa Vandervorst	...	Jetje
Mark Van Eeghem
Fred Van Kuyk	...	Handelaar
Hilde Van Mieghem	...	Marcella
Sofie Van Moll	...	Lola
Karen van Parijs
Fran Verstegen
Marie Vinck	...	Esther Goldberg
Jessa Wildemeersch	...	Jeanne 2

Also Known As:

"Onder de wolken" (Belgium: Flemish title) (working title)

Runtime:

Belgium:250 min

Country:

Belgium

Language:

Dutch

Color:

Color

Company:

D&D Producties

A family with the will to survive

"The Kavijaks" is a five part miniseries that tells the story of a rural Flemish family during and immediately after the second World War.A family consisting of an an exhausted mother and thirteen children dominated by a callous and fear-inspiring father they call "the general".These are harsh times and the will to survive for the children after the death of their mother and the ever increasing brutality and indifference of their father make their plight all the more difficult.Although the war is evidently present, it is used more as a background against which a study unfolds of human nature and particularly that of the amazing adaptability of children to overcome even the most extreme circumstances.Just as many adults conspire with the Germans in order to survive, the blood bond between the children gives them the strength to confront their vicious father and the menacing presence of the foreign enemy and also enables them to discover ingenious ways of obtaining food and other necessities for their well-being. It is widely accepted that it is an extremely difficult task to direct children in a movie. Stijn Coninx however succeeds in bringing the best out of a group of youngsters with little or no acting experience at all. There is no contrived acting here and the enthusiastic presence of all these young people is a sheer delight to experience.The historical settings are both accurate and convincing and the whole bathes in a form of lighting that accentuates reminiscences from the past. Jan Decleir as "the general" is of course once again remarkable: as all great actors he needs no extensive lines to prove his talents: his formidable presence alone literally fills the screen and captures the viewer's attention over and over again.The above comments relate essentially to the first three episodes of the series that as mentioned before consists of five parts.Episodes 4 & 5 tell the ongoing story of the Kavijak family after the departure of their father and the ups and downs they encounter as adults in a post-war environment.