Wan Pipel (1976)

Roy is a handsome Surinam man, who studies in Amsterdam. He hurriedly left his Dutch girlfriend Karina to visit his dying mom in Paramaribo. Back in his homeland, Roy soon becomes obsessed ... See full summary »

Director:

Pim de la Parra

Writers:

Rudi F. Kross, Pim de la Parra

Stars:

Borger Breeveld, Diana Gangaram Panday, Willeke van Ammelrooy

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Borger Breeveld	...	Roy
Diana Gangaram Panday	...	Rubia
Willeke van Ammelrooy	...	Karina
Emanuel van Gonter	...	Roy's vader
Ro Jackson-Breeveld	...	Roy's moeder
Joyce Mungroo-Ooft	...	Henna
Ruud Mungroo	...	Norman
Grace Calor-Ooft	...	Carla
Asha Bharosa	...	Rooshni
Paragh Chotkan	...	Rubia's Grandfather
Diana Dobbelman	...	Mr. Frenkel's Secretary
Genti
Steven Gill	...	Steven
Henk Gopali	...	Rubia's Cousin
Ruben Jitan	...	Rooshi's Bridegroom

Storyline

Roy is a handsome Surinam man, who studies in Amsterdam. He hurriedly left his Dutch girlfriend Karina to visit his dying mom in Paramaribo. Back in his homeland, Roy soon becomes obsessed with his own country and it's culture. When he falls for the Hindu nurse Rubia, the conservative Hindu and Black communities are in revolt. One day Karina arrives in Surinam too.

---

Genres:

Drama

---

Details

Country:

Suriname Netherlands

Language:

Dutch Hindi Sranan

Release Date:

19 August 1976 (Netherlands)

Also Known As:

One People

Company Credits

Production Co:

Nederlands Fonds voor de Film, Scorpio Film Productions

Technical Specs

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Did You Know?

Trivia

This is the first feature film from Surinam.

---

Connections

Referenced in Lobi Singi (2015)

User Reviews

Key movie to Surinamese society

This film tells the story of a relationship between a Black student (Borger Breeveld) visiting his home country of Suriname and a Hindustani nurse (Diana Gangaram Panday). Their parents don't agree with the relationship. Eventually things get so out of hand that the absurd but in Suriname also coldly logical situation is reached that the Black and the Indian fathers conspire to force the two apart. One of the strengths of the movie is that there is a second layer to it in the relationship between Breeveld's character and the girlfriend he keeps in the Netherlands. Not only he has to defend his choice for a Hindustani girl, he also has to choose between that (Surinamese) girl and the Dutch girl. This is probably meant as symbolic for the diaspora many Surinamers live in.

A second viewing reveals some nice details. For instance, in the beginning of the movie, Breeveld's character takes a cab from the airport to the city. The cab driver is Hindustani and Indian music sounds through his radio. Later on, in the montage where Breeveld enjoys a walk through his home town (great music by Lieve Hugo) we see shots of a Hindu mandir (temple) and a Bollywood movie poster. The director has introduced the presence of Indian culture throughout Surinamese society, as a non-dominant but all-permeating influence. This sets up the tensions that follow nicely.

The movie has a great soundtrack of nostalgic Surinamese music and some great shots of Suriname's interior! The shots of Willeke van Ammelrooy in the guest house with the shadows of the blinds across her nightgown look suspiciously like the famous shots of Kim Basinger in 9 1/2 Weeks (made some ten years later).

Great acting by the supporting characters like the fathers of the boy and the girl, and Ruud Mungroo as Breeveld's character's friend, a quintessential hustler.

The movie was made in 1974 but has aged well, especially in it's critique of Surinamese society.

This is one of the movies made in the seventies by director Pim de la Parra and producer Wim Verstappen, also known as "Pim and Wim". Director of photography Marc Felperlaan went on to do most of Dick Maas's films. If i'm correct you can also spot Theo van de Sande on the credits, as a second unit dp or something. He went on to shoot stuff like "Blade" in the States.

The movie created an ugly backlash after it's initial release, with Hindustani's condemning Diana Gangaram Panday's performance, resulting in harassment and stuff like that.