Meet the Fokkens (2011)
"Ouwehoeren" (original title)

A documentary on Louise and Martine Fokkens, 69-year-old twin sisters who have worked as prostitutes in the red-light district in Amsterdam for over 40 years.

Directors:

Gabrielle Provaas, Rob Schröder

Writers:

Gabrielle Provaas, Rob Schröder

Stars:

Louise Fokkens, Martine Fokkens

1 nomination.

Cast

Credited cast:
Louise Fokkens	...	Herself
Martine Fokkens	...	Herself

Storyline

Sisters doing it for themselves in Amsterdam's Red Light District. Louise and Martine Fokkens are identical twins. For over fifty years they were working as prostitutes. They freed themselves from the control of their pimps, ran their own brothel, and set up the first informal trade union for prostitutes. They are familiar faces in Amsterdam's Red Light District, but soon they will bid their farewells. The Ladies Fokkens is a portrait of these remarkable women, as well as a history of the Red Light District over the past fifty years.

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Genres:

Documentary | Biography

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

Netherlands

Language:

Dutch

Release Date:

1 December 2011 (Netherlands)

Also Known As:

Meet the Fokkens

Filming Locations:

Amsterdam, Noord-Holland, Netherlands

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

$4,573 (USA) (17 August 2012)

Gross:

$30,810 (USA) (1 February 2013)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Submarine, Vrijzinnig Protestantse Radio Omroep (VPRO), CoBo Fonds

Technical Specs

Runtime:

80 min

Color:

Black and White Color

User Reviews

Interesting documentary about rarely discussed subject.

The documentary "Meet the Fokkens" (Ouwehoeren) benefits from more than just a clever title.

The Red Light District of Amsterdam caters to many travelers from around the world, but has not been the subject of many documentaries. I was curious to discover exactly how the district functions in the legalization of normally illegal activities.

The documentary does not concentrate on those activities per se, but rather hones in on the lives of two of the district's long time residents. The trials and tribulations of these twin sisters give us a window onto the history of the district. Their lives highlight many of the difficulties that lead some to their profession.

This documentary shines a light on issues that need to be discussed.