Toutes Directions
The long-awaited feature film debut of Maastricht native Noël Loozen is a tragicomedy in which 71-year-old Limburg taxi driver Sjef loses his job and decides, for the first time in his life, to take a turn towards the unknown.
Every morning, regional taxi driver Sjef follows the same route through Southern Limburg. He picks up his regular passengers, who rely on his rickety minibus for their appointments and their connection to the outside world. They give his days rhythm, a sense of connection and meaning, just as he does for them.
When Sjef is made redundant and has to hand back his keys and the minibus, he picks up his passengers one last time. At the junction where he normally turns right, he steps on the accelerator and drives straight on. What follows is an unplanned, sometimes dangerous journey, during which his elderly and vulnerable passengers prove to be surprisingly resilient. Industrial landscapes gradually give way to sweeping vistas, while the group grows smaller and smaller along the way. What begins as an impulsive decision develops into a journey that stirs something in everyone, and which gives Sjef the courage to embark on the rest of his life.
Visual artist and filmmaker Noël Loozen (1983) made a promising debut with the short films Spoetnik (2015) and Botanica (2018). In his playful films, he seeks out magical moments in everyday life. Toutes Directions is his feature film debut. Spinvis (who also plays one of the passengers) composed a beautiful score for the film. Loozens’ second film (an adaptation of Tom Tippelaar by famous Dutch children’s author Annie M.G. Schmidt) is currently in preparation.
Please note that this film is in Dutch, French, English and Turkish, with Dutch subtitles.
Every morning, regional taxi driver Sjef follows the same route through Southern Limburg. He picks up his regular passengers, who rely on his rickety minibus for their appointments and their connection to the outside world. They give his days rhythm, a sense of connection and meaning, just as he does for them.
When Sjef is made redundant and has to hand back his keys and the minibus, he picks up his passengers one last time. At the junction where he normally turns right, he steps on the accelerator and drives straight on. What follows is an unplanned, sometimes dangerous journey, during which his elderly and vulnerable passengers prove to be surprisingly resilient. Industrial landscapes gradually give way to sweeping vistas, while the group grows smaller and smaller along the way. What begins as an impulsive decision develops into a journey that stirs something in everyone, and which gives Sjef the courage to embark on the rest of his life.
Visual artist and filmmaker Noël Loozen (1983) made a promising debut with the short films Spoetnik (2015) and Botanica (2018). In his playful films, he seeks out magical moments in everyday life. Toutes Directions is his feature film debut. Spinvis (who also plays one of the passengers) composed a beautiful score for the film. Loozens’ second film (an adaptation of Tom Tippelaar by famous Dutch children’s author Annie M.G. Schmidt) is currently in preparation.
Thursday 1 October, 20:00
Limburg Premiere Toutes Directions + Q&A with Noël Loozen
On the day that Toutes Directions, the highly anticipated debut feature by Maastricht-based director Noël Loozen, hits Dutch cinemas, Lumière will host a special Limburg premiere. Both the director and Fred Goessens, who plays the lead character Sjef, will be in attendance to talk about this special film after the screening. Please note that this programme is entirely in Dutch.
