The Ugly Children’s Club (2019)

Directed by: Jonathan Elbers | 95 minutes | action, adventure, family | Actors: Sem Hulsmann, Maan de Steenwinkel, Narek Awanesyan, Faye Kimmijser, Jeroen van Koningsbrugge, Jelka van Houten, Roeland Fernhout, Georgina Verbaan, Katja Schuurman, Edwin Jonker

Rhyme, sound and meter; writer Koos Meinderts likes to play with language. De Haheden writes for both children and adults. He also became known for the stories, poems and songs he wrote with his good friend, comedian Harrie Jekkers. Many of these have been performed by Jekkers, solo or with his band Klein Orkest. The album ‘Escalator to the moon’ was awarded an Edison in 1985 and for the song ‘Back at af’ the duo received the Annie MG Schmidt prize for best Dutch song of the year in 1991. Meinderts has also been awarded several times for his books; for example, he received both a Golden and a Silver Granger for ‘To the North’. One of his best-known children’s books is ‘The Club of Ugly Children’ from 1987, the oldest book of his hand that is still in print. ‘The Ugly Children’s Club’ has since been adapted into a play, musical and film. In 2012, students from the Film Academy, including Jonathan Elbers, made a twenty-minute short film that was broadcast in the TV program Z@pp, and seven years later there is a full-length feature film. A number of the stars from the short version – Roeland Fernhout, Katja Schuurman – can also be seen in the cinema film, which was also directed by Elbers.

In ‘The Club of Ugly Children’ (2019), the country is burdened by the dictatorship of President Isimo (Roeland Fernhout), who wants to keep the country clean, but takes it very far. One day he decides to pick up all the ugly children – under the guise of a ‘school trip’ – and put them in a camp. Paul de Wit (Sem Hulsmann) is also taken along. He is not necessarily ugly, but has huge floppy ears and therefore does not fit into the ideal picture that Isimo is striving for. But Paul manages to escape just before the bus reaches the camp. He cannot return home, because the Uberkliener (Edwin Jonker) is after him. Moreover, Paul’s father Filidoor (Jeroen van Koningsbrugge) is one of the most famous TV presenters on state television, who cannot possibly criticize the leader because he is also his boss. Paul finds shelter with classmate Sara (Faye Kimmijser); together they decide to set up the Ugly Children’s Club on the Internet, to support the children who have been taken away and to protest against the president. More and more people are joining the club. Meanwhile, Paul’s mother (Jelka van Houten) and older sister (Maan de Steenwinkel) are campaigning at the government building; will they be able to free the ugly children from the camp?

‘Ugly Children’s Club’ discusses a solid theme in a light-hearted way. It becomes clear in the first few minutes that Isimo is no good. The parallels with dictatorial regimes that really existed or even still exist (North Korea!) are not to be missed, especially for mature viewers: the deportation of people who look slightly different, the grim atmosphere, the ‘klieners’ who hunt for stragglers. Isimo’s followers even have a kind of Nazi salute (“Keep it clean!”) and move with tight heads in sterile, futuristic-looking buildings. Visibly a lot of attention has been paid to the look of the film with effectively used industrial buildings, and that pays off. There is reasonable acting; the young protagonists are supported by experienced colleagues, such as Jelka van Houten, Roeland Fernhout and Jeroen van Koningsbrugge. Familiar heads can also be seen in smaller roles: Katja Schuurman and Georgina Verbaan are among the president’s entourage, presenter Ajouad El Miloudi plays Paul and Sara’s teacher, comedian Soundos El Ahmadi is a colleague of Paul’s father, Mimoun Ouled Radi is the father of one of the other refugee children and the late Peer Mascini plays his very last role here.

After more than thirty years, Koos Meinderts’ story is still rock solid. Although it is immediately clear which way will be followed, ‘The Club of Ugly Children’ shows itself an entertaining film, made with great care and attention, which mainly impresses visually.