Lotus (2011)

Directed by: Pascale Simons | 102 minutes | drama | Actors: Monic Hendrickx, Georgina Verbaan, Gaite Jansen, Chris Zegers, Raymond Thiry, Jack Wouterse, Birgit Schuurman

Debuting with a mosaic film shows guts. Or from self-esteem. Yet it is not very surprising that ‘Lotus’, Pascale Simons’ feature debut, is a mosaic drama. In 2006 Simons made the shorty ‘Kinkerstraat’, a film in which various storylines emerged during a fight in the center of Amsterdam. The script for this pitch-black drama was Philip Delmaar, who is also co-responsible for the scenario of ‘Lotus’. Even now the tone is anything but cheerful.

The lotus is the symbol of purity in various Eastern religions. In the film ‘Lotus’ we find that purity in the pregnant Elsa, who loves nothing more than to rock herself on the water like a lotus flower.
Furthermore, there is little purity to be found in this film. The characters suffer from life, some more than others, and all are looking for redemption: the husband with the double life, the couple in marital crisis, the convalescent pilot. In ‘Lotus’ we follow them during a 24-hour period in which major and minor personal changes take place.

Unlike ‘Kinkerstraat’, it is not a central event that keeps the storylines together. Overarching themes such as farewell and urban loneliness connect the stories. There are also a number of recurring elements, such as flashing lights and great heights. Without the loose lines often touching each other, these thematic and visual connections ensure a coherent whole. A compelling whole in which you can lose yourself for over an hour and a half, thanks to strong dialogues and excellent acting.

Not everything is equally successful about ‘Lotus’. Sometimes it’s too much – playing puppet shows for the family, sentimental words on a farewell note, dancing in public – sometimes the stories are just not well developed, sometimes the music tells something we already know. Those minuses don’t outweigh all the good things. ‘Lotus’ tells a convincing story about urban life at the beginning of the 21st century. In addition, the film points out what a hyper-individualistic life can lead to (Alphense and Apeldoorn dramas) without showing those extremes. A strong choice, as this is already a film of strong choices.