Listen
Children call the Dutch helpline with worries, secrets, jokes and the occasional song. Their faces remain unseen. Animals, objects and constructed images give the conversations a visual form.
Watch trailerSelected awards
- IDFASpecial Jury Award for Children’s Documentary · 2017
- Go ShortBest Dutch Short Film · 2018
- CinekidBest Dutch Short Documentary · 2018
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A cat sits beside a white telephone and a cactus against a yellow background in Listen.
All films ↗A film built around listening
The film is built from calls to the Kindertelefoon. A conversation about a pet can sit beside one about loneliness, divorce or falling in love. The callers set the rhythm.
The images follow their own course: a telephone, a cat, colour and animation. Voice and face remain separate, leaving room for the viewer to imagine the person at the other end of the line.
Watch
ListenCrew & production
- Director and screenplay
- Astrid Bussink
- Producers
- Hasse van Nunen and Renko Douze, Een van de jongens
- Cinematography
- Sander Roeleveld
- Editing
- Riekje Ziengs
- Animation
- Amos Mulder
- Sound, sound design and editing
- Tim van Peppen
- Production design
- Sanne Houwing
- Music
- Yvo van Gemert and Bartho Waeyen
- Broadcaster
- KRO-NCRV
- Executive production
- Merle Bemelmans and Britte Hermans
Film details & resources
- Original title
- LUISTER
- English title
- Listen
- Year
- 2017
- Format
- Short documentary
- Running time
- 15 min (producer); 16 min (Eye catalogue)
Awards & festivals
ListenAwards
- 2017
IDFA
Special Jury Award for Children’s Documentary
- 2018
Go Short
Best Dutch Short Film
- 2018
International Short Film Festival Oberhausen
ECFA Short Film Award
- 2018
Cinekid
Best Dutch Short Documentary
- 2018
Jio MAMI Mumbai Film Festival
Golden Gateway, Best Short Film, Half Ticket (ages 5–9)
- 2018
Olympia International Film Festival
Jury Award, Short & Medium-length Documentary
- 2018
Eindhoven Film Festival
Best Documentary
- 2019
JEF Festival
Best Short Documentary, Professional Jury
Special mentions & honours
- 2018
International Short Film Festival Oberhausen
Special Mention, Youth Award
- 2018
Filem’On
Special Mention, ECFA DOC Award Competition
- 2018
interfilm Berlin
Special Mention, Documentary Competition
- 2018
Roshd International Film Festival
Honorary Diploma
- 2019
Atlanta Film Festival
Honorable Mention, Documentary Shorts
- 2019
KIKI International Film Festival for Kids
Special Mention
Nominations
- 2018
doxs!
GROSSE KLAPPE Award nomination