Dst (2018)

Directed by: Joren Molter | 43 minutes | drama, short film | Actors: Jochem Smit, Jack Jansen, Henk-Jan Doornbosch, Janine Wolters, Rene Jonkman, Benthe Horlings, Matthijs Groenbroek, Maurins Boonstra, Anouk Johannes, Bert Kruize, Yamila Huft, Liam Feikens, Jarnick Ramm

Puberty, it is both the most beautiful and the most complicated period there is for a boy. This is no different for Alko (Henk-Jan Doornbosch). On the one hand, life is carefree. During the holidays, Alko and his friends help out as asparagus pickers. Hard work is not done, laughter all the more. In the evening, the entertainment continues in the local bar, while enjoying liters of alcohol. And then there are the girls, who make the boys’ hormones hopelessly run wild. Perhaps that first kiss can lead to more.

On the other hand, this burgeoning sexuality is not always clear-cut. The gender roles in ‘Dòst’ are only vaguely defined. Girls burp harder than their male counterparts. They would rather sit on the saddle themselves than let them cycle around on the back. And when it comes down to it, the female sex decides whether or not to actually engage in sex. Alko experiences it all uncomfortably. The fact that he is not only interested in the popular Marie (Yamila Huft), his male childhood friend Bjorn (Liam Feikens) also has a crush on him, does not make life any easier.

At first sight, the Dutch clay is a rather stale backdrop for a coming-of-age story, but a few effective visual finds give ‘Dòst’ more dimension between the lines than just sexual maturation. For example, tightly shot images alternate with shots from a mobile phone. Those shots not only give the film a contemporary touch, but also say something about the effect of these types of images. Without much effort, these types of recordings are able to control the image of the viewer, which also includes the young people in the film. Whoever has the phone in hand decides. The question whether someone has homosexual feelings, which is difficult to answer in itself, is therefore filled in by itself. With all its consequences. By resisting that view, things in ‘Dòst’ get completely out of hand. What starts out as a puppy love story eventually becomes much more than that.