Handen

Synopsis:

Isaac, a 30-year-old Galician writer, arrives in the Netherlands to spend a few months working on a vegetable farm in a small village. His goal is to save money so he can move to Barcelona with his girlfriend and finish writing his second novel.

There, Isaac works and lives alongside a group of laborers from Southern and Eastern Europe, under the supervision of Maaike (42), the Dutch boss — a woman who is both entertaining and intimidating. Over time, Isaac earns the respect of his coworkers and Maaike thanks to his endurance, while gradually becoming just another cog in the company’s machinery, leaving behind his plans and creative life.

He develops relationships with his fellow workers, particularly Arvydas, a Czech man who is the heaviest drinker and the most openly homophobic of the group. Their uneasy friendship turns dark and toxic when the repressed homosexual desire they both harbor finally erupts.

Yet the farm will continue working and producing, always for Maaike and her family.

International Title: Handen

Director: Ángel Filgueira

Producer/s: Silvia Fuentes

Country of Production: Spain

Project Status: En desarrollo

Estimated Length: 120 min.