It’s Seen (2018)

Directed by: Erik Lieshout | 55 minutes | documentary | With: Tom Lanoye, Hans Teeuwen, Mano Bouzamour, Kristien Hemmerechts, AHJ Dautzenberg, Tinkebell, Gerard Spong

Writer Gerard Reve, who died in 2006, had to appear in court in 1966 because he was charged with libelous blasphemy. In his book ‘Nearer to you’, which was published earlier that year, Reve describes how he would like to share the bed with God as a donkey in an erotic way. The verdict was that ‘blasphemy’ had been proven, but Reve was not sentenced, after which the writer appealed in 1967. He defended himself masterfully, without the help of a lawyer. He discussed his concept of God and the image of God in general.

Although the process has been going on for fifty years, what Reve was committed to is still not self-evident. Freedom of art is, as appears in the documentary ‘It has been seen’, something that still has to be fought for. Erik Lieshout, who became friends with Reve after making a documentary about Céline, made this 55-minute documentary to explain how the freedom of art is in the Netherlands.

Lieshout has invited seven artists and writers to this end, who not only give their views on the Donkey Process, but also use examples to show the limits they face when performing their work.

The promising writer Mano Bouzamour, for example, whose debut novel ‘The Promise of Pisa’ was not well received by the Moroccan community, tells charmingly about his experiences. It could be even worse: The Belgian writer Kristien Hemmerechts talks about how people see her after the publication of her book ‘The woman who fed the dogs’. In this book she portrays Michelle Martin, the ex-wife of serial killer Marc Dutroux. She was almost equated with this criminal and received no support from anyone in her country. Writer AHJ Dautzenberg and artist Tinkebell also received death threats after certain choices they made in their work. Dautzenberg became a member of the Dutch pedophile association Martijn, not because he approves of pedophilia, but because he believes that pedosexual fantasy is just allowed. And Tinkebell was discredited when she turned her (mortally ill) cat into a handbag after strangling him as humanely as possible. Freedom of art seems a utopia.

‘It is seen’ was shot in beautiful black and white and has a special location for some of the interviewees: the building where the court was located at the time. Reve’s powerful text still appears to be topical and logically forms the common thread in this film. Inspiring film that encourages thinking and good conversations about the boundaries of art.