Opening Groninger Filmdagen

After a wonderful first edition, Groninger Filmdagen returns this year. On 27, 28 and 29 November we once again celebrate the stories, makers and remarkable films our region has to offer. This year the festival is dedicated to Rooted Cinema: films rooted in a place, a culture or a community. We bring stories and people together, because film is so much more than what happens on the silver screen. It gets us talking, it connects us, and it lets us see the world around us through different eyes. During the opening, we take you into the world of Rooted Cinema with remarkable stories about Groningen. Erik Wijnholds introduces Ooggetuigen van de Gaswinning (Eyewitnesses of Gas Extraction), an oral history project that records the personal stories of people involved in Groningen's gas extraction and its consequences. We will see a first documentary sketch of the project, made by Jelke Landman, the project's regular camera operator. Sander Blom's beautiful film Yr Wyddfa is a visually striking story that shows what film with Groningen roots is capable of. It was made from the North, with a gaze that reaches beyond its own surroundings. That is exactly what this edition's theme is about: Rooted Cinema. Sean Campbell and Jacob Burke, members of the organising team, give us a surprising glimpse into the remarkable history of the iconic building we are in.