A Happy Hand (Een gelukkige hand) 19 years old

By alternating documentary with fiction, a portrait is drawn of Peter van Straaten, eminent draughtsman of political cartoons, the long-term Parool serial Agnes and a countless series of painfully comical sketches of everyday life. Interviews with Van Straaten - outside, at home and at work - smoothly merge with dramatised excerpts from Agnes (played by people like Renée Fokker, Pierre Bokma and Hans Kesting). 'That's me, dressed up as a woman', he says about this creation. The camera peeks over his shoulder when Van Straaten makes his black-and-white drawings with pen and ink. His humour is harsh; he draws people in all their spinelessness, sadness and dishonesty, with a remarkable eye to facial expressions and postures. Through his drawings and stories, he also talks about his personal experiences with alcohol, relationships, family, health and sex - and his lifelong love for birds in the open field.

Credits

A Happy Hand Cast

Name Character
Hans Kesting He was 44, now 64 years old
Pierre Bokma He was 49, now 68 years old
Ingeborg Elzevier She was 69, now 88 years old
Renée Fokker
Reinout Scholten van Aschat He was 15, now 35 years old

A Happy Hand Crew

Name Department
Pieter Verhoeff as Director. He was 67 (81) years old when He died Directing
Pieter Verhoeff as Writer. He was 67 (81) years old when He died Writing
A Happy Hand (19 years)

  • Release day: Thursday, March 24, 2005
  • Runtime: 90 minutes