Het Wilde Westen - The Wild West

Описание: A documentary film about ‘t Landje, a hut village. This building playground is an island, situated in the West of Amsterdam. For many underprivileged children in the neighborhood it’s a true lurking place.

Every day, the local kids are busting down the gate to get in. Although it is a wonderful place to play, the main reason for their daily presence is far more serious: they don't really have all that much to keep them at home. Poverty and unemployment are prevalent in this part of town, and they take their toll on the kids. In the words of the playground's manager and "mayor" Piet, "Lots of the kids are living on the edge, and 20 per cent of them end up on the wrong side of the tracks." In 't Landje, they can build their own wooden huts, but they also get someone who will listen to their problems. ‘t Landje resembles the real society: things get stolen or vandalized, arguments flare up, or someone has to be comforted. All the same, the kids are much happier here than they are at home. Piet is the mayor of this lurking place for almost 40 years. His employees grew up in 't Landje, so they all know exactly what the kids are dealing with. With their knowledge and experience, they do their best to prevent the kids from going down the wrong path, even if that path is often lurking right around the corner.

This film was directed by Susan Koenen (www.komedia.nl).
John Appel and Heddy Honigmann produced this film in coorporation with HUMAN, the humanist broadcasting corporation in The Netherlands. The Wild West has been broadcasted 24 Februari 2011 on Dutch television for HollandDoc on channel NPO 2.