Timbuktu (2007)

Directed by: Dave Schram | 105 minutes | drama, adventure, family, romance | Actors: Bo Maerten, Mees Peijnenburg, Willem Voogd, Geza Weisz, Reinout Scholten van Aschat, Anne Wallis De Vries, Jeronimo van Ballengoijen, Anna Raadsveld, Isabelle Houdzagers, Liessanne Schenkkan, Daniel Cornelissen, Cosmo de Vos, Daniël Cornelissen, Marcel Hensema, Ruben Lürsen, Mouna Goeman Borgesius, Els Ingeborg Smits, Khaldoun Elmecky, Esmée de la Bretonière, Katja Herbers, Margo Dames, Eugene Bervoets, Rik van Uffelen, Marline Williams

A year after ‘Afstay’ (2006), the second Carry Slee film adaptation ‘Timboektoe’ (based on the first three books from the series of the same name) comes to conquer the hearts of the young Netherlands. The casting has been questioned by critics: scenes akin to Idols/X-Factor and other talent shows were supposed to bring out unknown talent suitable for the film. Miraculously, this has done Dave Schram no harm: the young actors and actresses are generally not inferior to their predecessors of ‘Keep away’. Isa (Bo Maerten’s film debut) and Kars (Mees Peijnenburg) don’t know what to hear when their parents (played by Mouna Goeman Borgesius and Ruben Lürsen) tell them that they have bought an ‘idyllic’ campsite in France. Not only that; they also move immediately. They leave behind not only their friends, but also the loves of their lives. At least that’s what they think…

Arriving in France, things don’t seem to go as expected, not least of all for their parents. When the campsite finally seems to be running and all problems have been solved, it turns out that another Dutch campsite is opening its doors not so far away. The owner of camping ‘Paradiso’ is not a sweetheart to say the least and does everything to make camping ‘Timboektoe’ close its doors. Fortunately, Isa and Kars are not easy to catch and with a little help from their friends they still manage to save everything. All of that, however, puts them to the test in all areas of their friendship.

Both Bo Maerten and Mees Peijnenburg play strong, but the one who stands out most is Willem Voogd, who as Jules – a half Dutch, half French boy – has the most emotionally charged role. A recently deceased mother and alcoholic father makes you vulnerable and Voogd knows how to convey it well, and above all realistically, to his audience. The rest of the cast is also good at their game. The Carry Slee books are known for handling heavy subjects fairly lightly and leaving plenty of room to talk about them.

Fortunately, ‘Timbuktu’ does not come across as moralizing or pedantic, but it does put the concept of alcoholism on the map and nothing is more topical in today’s society. Who also quickly deserves a compliment is the dialect coach; the French that is partly spoken in the film by both the young and somewhat older actors sounds very convincing. With its running time of approximately 105 minutes, ‘Timbuktu’ is not one of the shortest films, but just like ‘Keep away’, the film manages to keep fascinated and the pace is good. As a viewer you will not be bored for a moment; the film contains all the ingredients to become the ultimate Dutch youth film of the year.