Lapje grond

In his short, stylised documentaries, filmmaker Ben van Lieshout turns contentious locations into leading characters. From a specific perspective, he looks at places in the Netherlands that most usually overlook. De zone provided an oppressive glimpse into the places outdoors where it is legal for prostitutes to have sex with their clients; Winkelhart was an unusual, nocturnal portrait of the seedy and sordid sides of a shopping centre in a big city. Lapje grond is a visual ode to a seemingly more trivial phenomenon, the allotment garden. Not the familiar fancy recreation parks, but the small, disordered plots of land along motorways, railways and industrial estates are the subjects of this film. Forgotten corners, where dedicated amateur gardeners cherish their vegetables and flowers. Van Lieshout filmed all four seasons, at different locations throughout Holland. Various poets, including Adriaan Jaeggi, Rutger Kopland, J. Bernlef and Gerrit Kouwenaar, offer verses that sing the praises of the garden, the passing of time and the seasons. (International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam)