After years of uncovering the complexities of family relationships in “A Family Affair,” Dutch director Tom Fasaert decided he was done focusing cameras on his family life. Sadly, Fasaert knew he wasn’t done yet when his father called him soon after his grandmother’s death and told him he was trying to intervene in his estranged brother’s life. As a result of that call, Between Brothers will have its world premiere at the Rotterdam Film Festival, 11 years after A Family Affair opened at IDFA, the Netherlands’ other major film festival.
In this intimate documentary, Mr. Fasaert looks at the relationship between his father, Rob, and Rob’s older brother, Rene. Both are in their 70s. What begins as a more traditionally structured reminiscence of their past with the help of rich archival material, “Between Brothers” turns into a road movie as the brothers decide to solve mysteries regarding their parentage and the years they spent in an orphanage as children. Watch the special trailer below.
Speaking to Variety ahead of the festival, the director said he was “pretty nervous” about sharing the film with audiences for the first time. “I had made personal films before this one, but I wasn’t prepared for what was going to happen emotionally when I put that film out there. I was so focused on creating the story and dealing with editing issues that I didn’t know how it was going to resonate with me once I put it out there. I think the same thing is happening again now.”
Fasaert recalls that while making “A Family Affair,” there was little contact between her father, a psychologist, and her brother, who struggled with mental health issues throughout his life. “When his mother died, he felt that this chapter of his life was over and that it was his responsibility not to pass on the trauma to the next generation. But what did he want to say with those words? That stirred me emotionally and philosophically. Could we really move on from the past and do things differently?”
The director points out that there were many “mysteries” not only in Renee herself, but also in her relationship with Rob, including a major secret regarding their bloodline, which I will not spoil in this article. All of these factors, combined with the fact that Fasaert himself was about to become a father for the first time, ultimately created the perfect storm for the film’s production.
When asked about the main differences between making Between Brothers and A Family Affair, the filmmaker said he found his latest work to be “easier.” “I thought I could distance myself more. I learned that there are risks in putting cameras in your own family, and you can fall into ethical traps. Every documentary comes with a responsibility when it comes to your relationship with the main character. Cameras can also be weapons. You can easily kill a character by manipulating them. When that character is in your family, that responsibility is even greater.”
“Between Brothers” provided by IFFR
But with “Between Brothers,” the director had one important advantage. It’s about having access to audience feedback after the previous film. Fasaert recalled hearing from an audience member about how the film highlighted his grandmother’s narcissism, which had long been ingrained in his family. “I never intended to kill my grandmother in that movie.” In Between Brothers, that focus shifted to Rene’s portrayal.
“I wanted to have some kind of sense of equality between them,” he added. “I wanted this movie to be about not just Renee’s turmoil and hoarding, but also the way he not only reflects on himself and his life, but also deeply criticizes Rob.”
This particular challenge proved easier to overcome after the film was released and a “change” occurred between the two brothers. “Literally my father is behind the wheel, but it’s Rene who’s steering us.” This dynamic allowed Fasaert to inject a great deal of humor into the film and closely observe the bickering between the two brothers. “Humor is also a coping mechanism and a way to survive everything. We hope that when we screen the film, there will be some laughter as well.”
He’s made two films about his family. Will he continue on that creative path? Yes, Fasaert says, somewhat reluctantly. “When I started ‘Between Brothers,’ I wasn’t a father yet, but over the course of about 10 years of making this film, I became a father of two children. I’ve always dreamed that this would be a trilogy of personal films. Obviously, now that I’m in second place, I’m in third place. You can imagine what it’s going to be. All I can say now is maybe, but it could be, because I’m really hungry and I have footage that I’m very confident about.”
The filmmaker, who has been given a platform by the Netherlands’ two major film festivals, says he is “very happy” that such a “healthy industry” exists in his home country, despite the “weakness of documentary filmmaking”.
“Today, documentaries are getting more exposure thanks to bigger (streaming) platforms, but I feel this also means that these platforms are taking less risk on films,” he added. “There’s a big filter on what’s being produced now, and that’s influencing filmmakers artistically. People need stories, and despite the challenges, these festivals prove that there’s still an audience for what we’re making, so I’m still very confident.”
Between Brothers is produced by Een van de Jongens and Clin Douille Films. Bantam Film holds distribution rights in the Netherlands, with Een van de Jongens handling worldwide sales.
