Joe Speedboot, Neighborhood cinema

When Nadat Fransje Hermans ends up in a wheelchair due to a bizarre accident, he seems doomed to spend his days in the sluggish village of Lomark. Because of the accident, he can no longer move or speak, and with only one functional arm, his life seems hopeless. However, that changes when the charismatic and reckless newcomer Joe Speedboot arrives and strikes up an unlikely friendship with Fransje. Will it help Fransje to realize his passionate dreams, satisfy his desire for the enchanting PJ, or is he just another project of Joe, who is always craving adventure? Confidently, De Jong breathes energy into the peculiar boy-dream world of Joe Speedboot. A universe in which teenagers build working airplanes and travel through dirty Europe to participate in arm-wrestling competitions. A quest in which Fransje's arm in this film adaptation swells to grotesque proportions, like Popeye who has just eaten spinach. De Jong thus underlines what Joe Speedboot actually is: a myth. ‘True friendship, discovering love, and especially messing around a lot.’ Director: Sam de Jong Genre: drama 97’