Off Track (2017)

Directed by: Sander Burger | 93 minutes | drama | Actors: Matthijs van de Sande Bakhuyzen, Reinout Scholten van Aschat, Ludwig Bindervoet, Lynn Van Royen, Vanessa Recalde

The apple usually doesn’t fall far from the tree. Actors Matthijs van de Sande Bakhuyzen and Reinout Scholten van Aschat are good examples of this. Matthijs is the son of director Willem van de Sande Bakhuyzen, who died far too early, who, in addition to the award-winning series ‘Oud Money’, also made the films ‘Cloaca’ (2003), ‘Leef!’ (2005) and ‘I embrace you with 1000 arms’ (2006), and his wife Adriënne Wurpel, who also directs. About three weeks before Matthijs, who was regularly cast by his father in his films as a child, turned seventeen, his father Willem died at the age of only 47 from the effects of cancer. Willem attended drama school in Maastricht in the late 1970s and early 1980s, where Gijs Scholten van Aschat became one of his best friends. Gijs grew into one of the Netherlands’ most appreciated stage, television and film actors and has a Louis d’Or and a Golden Calf on his mantelpiece, among other things. He had three children, among whom Reinout Scholten van Aschat who is well on his way to follow in his father’s footsteps; he also already has a Golden Calf to his name for his role in ‘De Heineken Kidnapping’ (2011), based on Willem Holleeder. In the Telefilm ‘Off Track’ (2017), Matthijs van de Sande Bakhuyzen and Reinout Scholten van Aschat play friends who get into trouble during their trip through Ecuador.

The idealistic Luuk (Matthijs van de Sande Bakhuyzen), student Daniel (Reinout Scholten van Aschat) and bon vivant Gregor (Ludwig Bindervoet) backpacking through South America. They enjoy the freedom, the beautiful nature and life. They meet nice people, including the Flemish Sacha (Lynn Van Royen), whom Luuk has a crush on. As they move on, they agree to meet again later at a folk festival. The three boys go to the Ecuadorian capital Quito, where they dive into the nightlife and go wild with parties, booze and debauchery. The next morning they wake up dazed; what exactly happened last night? They appear to have been taken by a local to a remote brothel, where they were allowed to choose their favorite from about twenty girls to share the bed with. Please pay immediately! Only Luke went with a girl, but did not touch her. The circumstances in which she found herself made a deep impression on him. It was clear that the girls were working in the brothel against their will; they were tied up. While Daniel and Gregor would like to forget the incident as soon as possible, Luuk decides to take it to the police. Mainly to impress Sacha by the way, but also because he has a strong sense of justice and believes that he is the one who must save the girl, Soledad (Vanessa Recalde), from the clutches of her oppressors. Luuk doesn’t really get a response from the police, so he decides to take matters into his own hands. He soon finds out that the situation is more complex than he thinks.

‘Off Track’ was directed by Sander Burger (‘Hunting & Zn.’, 2010) and the screenplay is by Bastiaan Tichler, who previously wrote TV films such as ‘Vast’ (2011) and ‘TIM’ (2014). . The film was shot in Ecuador with an Ecuadorian crew. Although the motivations of the characters are not always clear, it is clear where Burger and Tichler want to go with their film. The Dutch like to pat themselves on the back as a generous people, who shout from the rooftops how much money they give to charity, or what good deed they have done for someone else. In ‘Off Track’ Luuk sees himself in the role of hero, who manages to free the poor and oppressed Soledad from her plight. He’s willing to pay $2,000 for it. But is his motive for that action pure? Isn’t he just doing it – consciously or unconsciously – all for himself, to impress Sacha? He is so naive that he does not see at all that he is endangering not only himself, but also Soledad and her family and his two best friends. Because what types of people do you go into business with? Moreover, is it the most desirable situation for all involved if Soledad returns to her native village? The twist in the story, and the deeper layer that we are presented with here, is that Luuk’s action is more selfish than he thinks. And then we as viewers all think at first glance. In this way ‘Off Track’ also manages to put a mirror in front of the viewer: what appears to be the right thing is apparently not always the most desired.

That double layer is what makes ‘Off Track’ worth it. The fact that the acting of Van de Sande Bakhuyzen in particular, and the cinematography is also strong, is only a bonus.