Den Draad

Kilian Brons

Netherlands / 2025 / Fiction / 15’45”I2601193

Draad
BO Visionner Images Trealer

SYNOPSIS

During World War I, 'De Dodendraad' (The Wire of Death) divided neutral Netherlands from occupied Belgium. On a small farm in the south of the Netherlands, Jakob, a simple farmer, clings to his daily routine, plowing the land, feeding the animals, mucking out the stables. He does his best to keep the war at bay, but with de Dodendraad just thirty meters from his home, its ominous presence is impossible to ignore. Dutch and German soldiers are constantly patrolling the border. At night Jakob witnesses smugglers risking their lives to bring food and supplies to the starving people of Belgium. One evening, a Dutch smuggler is shot dead by soldiers. The war, once a distant threat, is suddenly at Jakob’s doorstep. As the reality of the conflict seeps into his life, so does an unbearable question: should he turn a blind eye to protect himself and his farm, or risk everything to help those in need? Den Draad sheds light on a forgotten chapter of Dutch history. Many Dutch people know the Netherlands stayed neutral during World War I, but neutrality is not the same as innocence. Sometimes, standing by means allowing suffering to continue. This film holds up a mirror to the present: in a world of growing border conflicts, the Dodendraad forces us to ask, do you take action or do you look away? And it reminds us that what feels maybe distant today was once a reality in our country too.

GÉNÉRIQUE