Danish filmmaker Martin Zandvliet turn black page open with “Land of mine ‘- Telegraaf.nl

director Martin Zandvliet” One film will not make a difference, but many movies and books called “

Photo: cci

Risking his life the thousands of mines have to be cleared on the Danish beach.

Photo: Henrik Petit

at the end of the war, Europe’s beaches yet littered with landmines that the Nazis had placed there. And so to be cleared by risking their lives, Zandvliet says. “When it became clear that Germany would lose the war, the Danish pioneer corps was trained specially in Sweden mines remove. I found an interesting story, but gradually learned that they mine eventually not at all had taken himself. They have used German POWs for. And there were also once many young boys at. In the Netherlands, was no different. Even though the order from England, it was our responsibility came. We had to refuse or treat the prisoners at least better. “

” History books you can not find over here, “the 45-year-old director continues. “There are figures on the number of people being employed and how many were wounded or killed, but exact notes or diaries from that period are not there.” Zandvliet invented therefore itself a story about a chilly sergeant group after the war German teenage boys late clearing mines. “A sincere portrait of how I saw myself in front of me,” explains the filmmaker. “Although I’ve saved the Danes at certain points. Death Marches on the beach occurred from day one, I’ve only used when the sergeant was really furious. “

The filmmaker is referring to the way it was verified that the beach was really my free. German prisoners were arm in arm on the cleared area to walk and now hope that they indeed had found any explosives. “In reality, there were people from all over the area on down to watch,” says Zandvliet. “As if it was a pop concert. Pretty bizarre when you think about it. “

Yet Zandvliet understand those gut feelings though. “The first logical emotions are hatred, fear and desire for revenge. I understand though. I had the Germans allow clearing those mines, they had them there indeed lodged itself. But I think I had done it in a more humane manner. Would they previously have trained better and given normal food, so they are not shaking their hands while they had to make a mine harmless. “

” For me, this film is about what happens to people after a war. What do you do with your emotions bubbling? Have we learned something 70

years later, or we still treat each other the same? Unfortunately, I think that little has changed. We are afraid of refugees, are full of fear and anger, rather we try to look objectively at what is the best solution. Now it always seems to go back to fighting, bombing a country. That eye-for-an-eye mentality has never produced anything good. Hatred will only bring more hatred. When fighting monsters you need to watch out that you are not a monster. “

” Perhaps it is easier to learn that a movie or a story of 70 years ago than something that happens now. Maybe we feel less guilty about and we can really think about how we treat people, and that the world has become a better place. I do not like that one movie will make the difference myself, but a lot of movies and books did. “

First Zandvliet addressed the message to his own countrymen. Hence the title Land of mine can be read in two ways. But now wins his film prices around the world. “People do not see it necessarily as a Danish story but involve the lake itself. Fear and hatred in Japan and China no different here. And tend to put yourself as the hero in dark periods; that the US has more than once had. On one hand, this film shows a story that people did not know yet, but I think viewers also start thinking about how they themselves stabbing each other. Which has now become a very nice side effect because it was not my main goal. Realism, I think the most important thing. “

” We filmed on the exact location where all the mines have been cleared, “explains Zandvliet out. “A wide military zone of ten kilometers. The only piece of untouched nature that we have in Denmark. No houses, everything still looks out as before. Just before we started running, we even found a real old mine. And because it was a military area, there were a lot of shells. I remember that I discussed with my wife if it was safe for our kids to run around. Just then my son comes to me with a grenade in his hands. Fortunately it turned out to be a practice grenade, but there were also genuine copies duds. That the army escorted us and always checked the area, so it was no luxury.