Under the Table (2008)

Directed by: Sacha Polak | 38 minutes | drama, short film | Actors: Jochum ten Haaf, Hans Dagelet, Pauline Greidanus, David Ziegler, Hymke Meijer, Karin Schaap, Maartje Remmers, Anne Lamsvelt, Susan Radder

What would you do if the father who has always cared for you and whom you have fond childhood memories of chose to live the life of an alcoholic? In ‘Under the table’ main character Jacob was confronted with this choice years ago. His sister, who is about to leave for Hong Kong, visits the young teacher at work and asks him to pick up father Kees from the clinic. With fresh reluctance, Jacob picks up Kees. Kees is so affected by the alcohol that he no longer recognizes his son. Despite the fact that Jacob has been warned about this by the nurse, this comes as a shock.

To stimulate his father’s memory, he has booked a bungalow in the park where the family spent a nice holiday twenty years ago. But Kees does not recognize the place, and Jacob continues to call him ‘doctor’. Jacob tries everything to communicate with his father, but when the two take a break in a cafeteria on a bike ride and Kees starts drinking again, that is the proverbial straw for Jacob. He decides that he cannot cure his father after all and then gives him what he wants: booze, liters of booze. For fun, he joins in and then it turns out that the alcohol has a fraternizing property; it allows father and son to communicate with each other.

Hans Dagelet convincingly plays the role of Kees, who suffers from Korsakov’s syndrome. Sometimes it is clear, often it is muddled, but always intense. Sometimes it’s nice too, like the comment about Mount Everest. Jochum ten Haaf knows how to portray Jacob, who is struggling with his feelings. You irrevocably sympathize with him.

‘Under the table’ is not a happy film, that should be clear. The ending, which seems inevitable, is sad. The film is a bit slow here and there, despite the short running time, there seems to be too little story to fill the minutes. Still, director Sacha Polak makes quite an impression with her film, which was included in the One Night Stand program.