VERONIQUE ENGEL

Film Director

Kraken gaat door!

DOCUMENTARY

Kraken gaat door!

In 'Squatting Continues!' VICE host Amarens Eggeraat follows the young activists of "Pak Mokum Terug", who took over an empty hotel in Amsterdam at the end of 2021, in spite of the ban on squatting.

We follow the ups and downs of the squatters and are there when 'Hotel Mokum' becomes a 'free cultural space'. Amarens is also there when the squatters are told that they will be evicted, during the demonstration that follows and she is there for the final violent eviction by the police.

Is squatting as a movement gaining traction, as a kind of revival, and could it become the means to protest against the housing crisis?

Host: Amarens Eggeraat
Director / producer: Veronique Engel
DOP: Karim Jobe
Editor: Tim de Wit
Post Producer: Gillian Ludwig

2021

DOCUMENTARY

DOCUMENTARY

DOCUMENTARY

What drives me in documentary filmmaking is my desire to connect with people, explore their worlds and create intimate, visually beautiful records of worlds that others might see as insignificant, but I see as extraordinary. The choice between fiction and non-fiction filmmaking for me is easy. Non-fiction storytelling allows me to immerse myself in people’s realities, which are in my opinion infinitely more interesting than any story I could possibly write. 

It also provides a vehicle for exploring social issues and enacting real change in society. I enjoy living and working closely with my subjects over several years, learning in-depth about their identities, their interests, and what motivates them. The challenge of reflecting these things and any transformations they might go through on screen is something I relish.