Open Theme nominee

Nymph

is a documentary taken photo. It is Christmas, the 25th of December 2020. Wntertime in Amsterdam. The exact location is Durgerdammerdijk, on the outskirt of Amsterdam where the body of water the IJ is known for being Amsterdam's waterfront. It is near where I live.

A lonely nude woman is slowly walking into the ice cold water. A nature deity, like a water-nymph. Nymphs are generally regarded as personifications of nature and are typically tied to a specific place or landform. In this photo it is the nondescript place where city and nature meet. The electricity pylon, the water and morning dew with the water nymph create a magical modern landscape. Nymphs often feature in many classic works of art, literature, mythology, and fiction. They represent a beauty as well. Also here it it the ambiguity of the Corona times. Although the social isolation, loniness and loss, we also discovered the beauty of nature near our homes, the possibility to bath every morning in the Amsterdam waters.
I took the photo with this wonderful blessing light, before I entered the water myself. No filters, no manipulation.

Willemiek Kluijfhout is a film director based in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Since 2000 she has been writing and directing award-wining short films and documentaries that have been shown on festivals, and broadcasted, around the world. She loves films, food, photography and philosophy and above all the combination. The malleability of life is the most important theme in all of her works.

She graduated Master of Philosophy at the UNIVERSITY OF AMSTERDAM (1998) after which she attended the DUTCH FILM ACADEMY and graduated as director in 2000. Her first feature- length documentary L’AMOUR DES MOULES (MUSSELS IN LOVE) was the opening film of the Culinary Cinema at the Berlinale 2013. Feature length documentary SERGIO HERMAN, FUCKING PERFECT, premiered @ Berlinale 2015.She received a KRISTALLEN FILM in The Netherlands and special JURY PRIZE@SEATTLE INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 2015.

THE TASTE OF DESIRE is her latest feature length documentary. Produced by HALAL DOCS. In post-production. Release 2021. Willemiek is also Course Leader and tutor at the WILLEM DE KOONING ACADEMY in Rotterdam at the Audio Visual Design Department.