Dutch film and documentary maker Heddy Honigmann passed away this week at the age of 70. Her family informed the ANP news agency. Honigmann had MS and cancer.
Honigmann heard from her doctor a few years ago that she wouldn’t have that long to live. Then she decided to take a trip to the places and people that were important to her and to capture it on film. That project eventually became the movie No Hay Camino (2021).
For No Hay Camino, Honigmann returned to Peru, the country where she grew up and where she made her classic Metal and Melancholy (1994) in the 1990s. She reminisces with old friends, encounters the subjects of her documentary and returns to her hometown. Kristien Hemmerechts and Johanna ter Steege, among others, contributed to the film. No Hay Camino also looks back at Honigmann’s extensive oeuvre, which is full of special, award-winning films.
Honigmann made both feature films and documentaries. In 2000 she won a Golden Calf for her film Crazy (1999) and six years later she received the same prize for the film Forever (2006). Other well-known titles are O Amor Natural (1996), Good Husband, Dear Son (2001) and The Underground Orchestra (1998).
The film adaptation Hersenschimmen (1988), based on the well-known book by Bernlef, also came from Honigmann’s creative mind. She made that film together with Joop Admiraal and Marja Kok. That is by far her best-known drama film, but Tot Ziens (1995) and En op een Goede Dag (2011) followed later, both with Johanna ter Steege.
Recently, especially Honigmann’s documentary 100UP (2020) has been much discussed. The film revolves around the fascinating stories of seven centenarians and had its world premiere during IDFA 2020. 100UP can now be seen via Pathé Thuis.
Image: Poster ‘No Hay Camino’ via TMDb
Text: ANP
