Bert Haanstra Movies

The Human Dutch was the third feature-length effort from the remarkably prolific Dutch documentary filmmaker Bert Haanstra. In probing into the manners and mores of his own countrymen, Haanstra conveys their peculiarities in an affectionate and immediately accessible manner. The one lasting image from the film -- and the one that has been most often reproduced in film histories -- is the shot of an anonymous couple, a young woman and slightly older man, sharing a kiss as a crowd of strangers looks on approvingly. This film, and Haanstra's subsequent documentary feature Ape and Super Ape, were nominated for Academy Awards. Originally titled Alleman, it is available in English- and German-narrated versions, both scripted by Haanstra. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Also known as "Instinct for Survival", this is the effort of Oscar-winning filmmaker Bert Haanstra to show the behavioral patterns which are shared by both man and animals. ~ Tana Hobart, Rovi

Doctor Pulder is bored with his life as a rural family physician. The visit of an old friend, now a famous neurologist, excites him greatly. The morning after the visit, however, he discovers that his morphine supply is gone, thanks to his old friend's growing addiction. Shortly afterward, the addicted neurologist dies. Pulder is transformed by these events and leaves his wife and children to move in with the addict's mistress. She is both an addict and an alcoholic, and the doctor is fascinated by the depravity of it all. His life, too, begins a downward spiral. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi

The legendary French comedian Jacques Tati returns as his most famous character, the bumbling M. Hulot, in this gentle but pointed satire of 20th Century car culture. In Trafic, Hulot is working as a designer for a major French automotive firm and is struggling to finish his latest project in time for an international auto show in Amsterdam -- a compact recreational vehicle that features everything from an electric razor and a collapsible couch to a built-in barbecue grill. While the car is completed shortly before the show opens, it doesn't run just yet, so Hulot and his mechanic (Tony Knepper) load the car into a truck and with an American public relations officer (Maria Kimberly) in tow, they hit the road for Holland. But what should be a simple trip from Paris to Amsterdam becomes increasingly complicated thanks to flat tires, breakdowns, traffic jams and multi-car pileups, and the well-intentioned M. Hulot does little to make things easier. Trafic began as a collaboration between Tati and Dutch filmmaker Bert Haanstra, but Haanstra dropped out of the project mid-way through production due to disagreements with Tati, and the great comedian finished the project on his own. Trafic proved to be one of Tati's final screen projects; his last theatrically released feature, Parade, was a shot-on-video homage to they heyday of French vaudeville and was primarily devoted to showing off his talents as a mime. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi