Godforsaken!

Inspired by the killings committed by `the Venlo gang' in the early nineties and basing himself on the assumption that a human tragedy underlies every crime, director Pieter Kuijpers made his feature film debut. The thriller is set around Shrovetide and makes use of a flashback in which the seventeen-year-old schoolboy Stan tells his story in a voice-over. Stan, always keeping his feelings bottled up, lives in a spacious villa with his mother and stepfather. Lack of attention and affection makes him receptive to a close friendship with petty criminal Maikel, who literally runs into his life. Along with Maikel and his buddy, Stan commits several burglaries. Until panic breaks out and one of their victims gets killed. The local drug baron is impressed with the trio's extreme violence and hires the gang. Van God los tells, for one through an outstanding soundtrack, the story of youngsters who have broken adrift. (Nederlands Film Festival)