Clean Hands (Schone Handen) Directed
by
Tjebbo Penning NETHERLANDS / 2015 / 109 minutes North American Premiere
In Dutch with subtitles
Screening
Times and Venues:
Q&A Attendees *subject to change: Tjebbo Penning
SYNOPSIS:
Dutch filmmaker Tjebbo Penning offers up a film that is raw, impeccably paced and, most of all, action packed. Eddie and Sylvia live a picture-perfect life in an upscale neighborhood in Amsterdam. They have two beautiful children, a lavish home and enough money to buy anything that their hearts' desire. There's only one problem: their lifestyle was financed by Eddie's sprawling drug empire and the cops are catching on. Fearing for her family's safety after living with the guilt of this lifestyle for too long, Sylvia flees with her kids in an attempt to get far away from Eddie and the trouble he attracts, much to his chagrin. Desperately clinging to his old life, Eddie tries to reunite his family at all costs. Are Eddie's true motivations to keep the family together or has Sylvia merely heard and seen too much? "Clean Hands" brilliantly showcases a stellar cast and a director at the top of his game. --Evan Thomas
BIO: Tjebbo Penning spent the first years after graduating from Amsterdam's Film Academy directing so much crap that his frustration exploded into a short horror spoof about an inflatable sex doll on a rampage. "The Bitch Is Back" turned into a film festival hit, as did the more serious follow-up "The Oath", winning many awards along the way. In 2001, his feature film debut "Morlang" hit theaters worldwide. In September of that year Tjebbo moved to New York, experiencing 9/11 from up close. The short film "My 9/11" imagines telling this story to his newborn son Milo.
"Great Kills Road" was released in 2010 and marks his first endeavor into low-budget digital filmmaking. His short film "The Bricklayer's Son" premiered at the Dutch Film Festival later that year. "Schone Handen (Clean Hands)", based on a best-selling crime novel, is Tjebbo's third feature film.
The Woodstock Film Festival is a not-for-profit, 501c3 organization with a mission to present an
annual program and year-round schedule of film, music,
and art-related activities that promote artists, culture,
inspired learning, and diversity. The Hudson Valley Film
Commission promotes sustainable economic development
by attracting and supporting film, video and media production.
