CV

Marjoleine Boonstra is a Dutch filmdirector and D.O.P with over 25 years of experience. Her documentaries always circle around the theme: what keeps mankind alive. Her documentaries are screened at filmfestivals all over the world and have been awarded many times. She combines a poetic visual approach with a compassionate view on the world, which make her documentaries striking and touching.

Curriculum Vitae Marjoleine Boonstra:
Marjoleine Boonstra (VWO/Academy of fine arts Minerva, Groningen/ NTVA, Filmacademy, Amsterdam/ Binger Filminstitute, Amsterdam) works as a director and D.O.P. and has made many documentaries and a fiction film, as well as video-installations for museums of modern art. Central to her work is a deep interest in human life and a keen eye for simple details of how people cope in their often difficult circumstances. With one central theme: “What keeps mankind alive”.This has resulted in concise and strong films about people all over the world that have been awarded at several festivals. One eye-catching detail is the sleeping of people that returns both in Marjoleine’s films and photography. Boonstra: “This serenity under the most horrible circumstances ensures me the world survives. It shows the vulnerability of our existence in its most ultimate form. This moves me.” Boonstra’s work has been shown at film festivals, museums and art galleries in The Netherlands and abroad. Her work has received several prizes.
She was for twenty years commission editor and film director at the HUMAN, a Dutch Broadcast company and she was mentor for the Master’s Degree program at the Netherlands Film Academy in Amsterdam, coached several film projects, was jury member for IDFA and tutor at the IDFA Space Project in 2014, 2015, 2018 and 2024.

Films (direction and scenario);
2024 Pierre Audi in Three Acts/ documentary/ 16'/ Ammodo Docs
2023 In the spirit of Alexander Calder/ documentary/ 52'/ Close-up AVROTROS
2023 Lost Veterans / documentary/ 72" / Submarine/ HUMAN
2022 The Green Code / documentary / 71’ / Witfilm / Human
2019 The Miracle of the Little Prince / documentary / 70’ / Pieter van Huystee Film/ Human
2019 Home away from Home, the worlds of Do Ho Suh / documentary / 50’ / Close-up AVROTROS
2018 Mirrordreams / documentary / 52’ / De Familie Film & TV
2016 Hemelsleutel / documentary series / 2 x 28’
2015 Jongens waren we / When we were boys / documentary / 48’ / Human
2014 The silence of Mark Rothko / documentary / 60’ / Close-up AVROTROS
2014 Kurai, Kurai / feature film / 80’
2013 Fresco's Paradise / series / 5 x 40’/ Human
2013 Keep on Stepping / cross medial project /Submarine
2013 Among Horses and Men / documentary / 73’
2010 Ongehoord / Unheard / series / 6 x 40’
2009 Plywood Dwelling / video installation with four screens / 40’
2009 Irene, Another Life / documentary / 50’
2008 Witte Sneeuw / White Snow / documentary / 3’ / Human
2008 Zonnig Madeira / Sunny Madeira / documentary / 50’ / Human
2008 Karel van het Reve / Four Grandsons Tell / 34’ / documentary / Human
2007 Keep on Stepping / Seven New Orleans Sketches / documentary / 67’ / Human
2007 A Bad Dream / documentary / 12’/Human
2006 Robert, Mary and Katrina / documentary / 42’ /Human
2005 Vingers wijzen naar de maan / Fingers Pointing at the Moon / documentary / 29’
2005 Sjanghai* / video installation / 30’
2005 Ironing Man* / video installation 30’
2005 Het sneeuwt vrienden / It’s Snowing Friends / documentary / 50’
2004 HAVEN / documentary / 70’/Human
2004 Gadzo, Gadze / documentary / 6’
2003 Brytania / documentary series / 4 x 7’
2002 Cold and Warm Bodies (Outlook Athene)* / 18 x 12’
2001 BELA, BELA / 70’/Human
1999 Hongkongoria* / 7 x 10’
1997 Ulay – In Photography / documentary / 60’
1996 Sa Nule / documentary / 9’ / Human
1996 Borderline Cases* / documentary series / 3 x 50’ /Human
1995 50 jaar na Dato / 50 Years After the Event / documentary / 50’
1995 Vraag en Aanbod / Supply and Demand / documentary / 50’/Human
1994 April 27, Vote one, Vote all / 16 mm / documentary / 16’/Human
1994 Foreign Nightingale* / 16 mm / documentary / 56’ / AVROTROS and BRT
1994 De koffer van herinnering / A Suitcase Full of Memories / documentary / 26’ / Human
1993 Our Man in Kazahkstan / 16 mm / documentary / 55’ / KRO-NCRV/
1993 A Voice Against Violence,Portrait of Max van der Stoel / documentary / 40’ / Human
1992 Skinheads / documentary / 30’ / Human
1991 Blue Highway / 35 mm / commercial for cinema / 15’
1990 Paradijs van het vergeten* / Paradise of Forgetfulness / 16 mm / documentary / 55’
1989 Home away from Home / 16mm /documentary / 30’ / NOS
1988 Merenque, Merenque* / 16mm / documentary / 40’ / NOS
1988 Typisch Tupperware / Typically Tupperware / documentary / 30’ / BVU
1987 Thermisch Water / Thermal Water / documentary / 30’
1986 Vierentwintig / Twenty-Four / documentary / 30’
1985 Kosmopoliatana / 16mm / documentary / 30’
1984 Pose / 16 mm / documentary / 30’
(*) In collaboration with other directors

FILMS in progress
Black Salt / feature/ Volya Film
Eline Arbo in The Storm Within/ Ammodo Docs
Nollen Melodien/ Tomtitfilm
Shadow of the lion / feature/ Witfilm

Participation in international filmfestivals:
Films mentioned along with a Dutch broadcasting organization have been shown on television. Many of the films have also been shown at national and international film festivals, including the International Documentary Festival Amsterdam, Hotdocs, Film Forum New York, Doku Art Berlin, Netherlands Film Festival, International Film Festival Rotterdam, Banff Canada, Benaki Museum Athens, Brooklyn Film Festival in New York, Institut Néerlandais in Paris, Crétail International Women’s Film Festival in Paris, Galerie Gebauer in Berlin, Budapest, Frauen Filmfest in Cologne, Krakow, Kuhmo Museum in Seoul, London, Filmfestival Oberhausen, Sofia, Stuttgart, Tampere, Tel Aviv, Mexico-City, St. Petersburg, Vesoul, Washington and Kunsthalle Vienna.

AWARDS AN NOMINATION (selection):
2019 - Netherlands Film festival - The Miracle of the Little Prince, winner of the Golden Calf  for best editing.
2019 - Netherlands Film festival - The Miracle of the Little Prince, nominated for Golden calf award for best feature length documentary.
2019 - Master of Art Film Festival- The Miracle of the Little Prince, award for best documentary in literature.
2018 - Mirrordreams, winner of the National Dutch Education Award 2018 & the audience award.
2015 - Kurai, Kurai, winner of the Emile Guimet prize.
2012 - Keep on steppin’, winner of the UPC Innovation Award for the iPad application.
2006 - International Bunker Festival Italy - Robert, Mary and Katrina, winner of the audience prize.
2005 - Netherlands Film Festival - HAVEN, nominated for the Golden Calf award for best sound.
2004 - 50th International Kurzfilmtage Oberhausen - Britanya, award.
2002 - Amsterdams Fonds voor de Kunsten - Bela, Bela, L.J. Jordaanprijs for the best documentary or feature lengh.
2002 - Bela, Bela, ICODO Award for the best film.
1998 - Netherlands Film Festival - Ulay - In Photography, nomination for the Golden Calf Award for documentary.
1998 - Banff Canada - Ulay-In Photography, nominated for The Rocky Awards.
1997 - Borderline Cases, nominated for the Echo Awards London.
1994 - A Voice Against Violence, J.B. van Broekszprijs (VARA).
1991 - Blue Highway, Pall Mall Export Movie Production Award for the script *

TEACHING/COACHING FILM:
2018: Guest mentor Master of Film- NFTVA Amsterdam
2018: Tutor IDFA Documentary Film workshop/in coop. with Tom Fassaert
2015: Tutor IDFA Documentary Film workshop/in coop. with Boris Gerrets
2014: Tutor IDFA Documentary Film workshop
2011- 2013: Guest teacher Master of Film- Netherlands Film Academy- AHK
2011: Tutor IDFA Documentary Summer school
2009-2011: Mentor Master of Film- Netherlands Film Academy- AHK
2005-2008: Teacher Master of fine Arts AKV| St.Joost
- Guest teacher Film - Netherlands Film Academy- AHK
‐ Teacher:- Academy of fine Arts AKV| St.Joost
- Teacher:- Academy of fine Arts, Gerrit Rietveld Academy
-2005: Tutor IDFA Documentary Film workshop

COACHING FILM:
2022; Mercedes Stalenhoef- Ik Zal Zien, 2021: Hannah van Tassel- Brieven van van Gogh, 2018: Saskia Gubbels-dierenleed -2016: Ditteke Mensink- Thomas Verbogt. 2011: Robbert So Kiem Hwat- De smaak van de ziel. 2009: Anja Hiddinga- Poes bal dobber 2008: Marlou van den Berg- Een leven in beelden. 2007: Sergej Kreso: Jack,the Balkan and I, and others

Work in collection 
2014 ABN/AMRO
2003 Gemeente museum Den Haag
2002 Ministry of Foreign Affairs
2001 Van Abbe Museum, Eindhoven and ABN AMRO Paris
1994 Stadsschouwburg Leiden
1992 Erasmus Universiteit Rotterdam and Rijksdienst voor beeldende kunst
1991 Gemeente Amsterdam and Gemeente Den Haag
1989 Stedelijk Museum
1986 Gemeente Amsterdam
1985 Rijksdienst Beeldende kunst, Gemeente Amsterdam and Gemeente Groningen

For more over than 25 years Marjoleine Boonstra is co-directing the video-installations of Aernout Mik:
Treshold Barriers (2022), Double mind (2018), swarm of two (2017), daytime movements (2016), Die Fremden (2016), Ice Cream Hill (2014/2015), Speaking in Tongues (2013,) Cardboard Walls (2013), Shifting sitting (2012), Communitas (2010), Schoolyard (2008), Touch, Rise and Fall (2008), Mock Up (2007), Training Ground (2006), Scapegoats (2006), Vacuum room (2005), Osmosis and Excess (2005), Dispersion Room (2004), Sleeping Bus(2004), Paralel Corner (2003), Pulverous (2003), Zone( 2002), Flock(2002), Park(2002), Middlemen (2001), Reversal Room (2001), Glutinosity (2001), Organic Escalator(2000), Softer Catwalk in Collapsing Rooms (1999), Lumber (1999), Float (1998), a small group falling(1998), Garage (1998), Lick( 1997), Kitchen(1997), Stuffed, Weak and Filthy (1995), Fluff (1996)