Twin Sisters

aka: De Tweeling
Netherlands 2002, 137 minutes
Dir. Ben Sombogaart
In Dutch, German, English with English subtitles
Rating: [M]
Genres: Foreign Cinema, Drama

Topics: Period 1930s.

Aroview: An epic 'tale of two sisters', which follows their lives after being separated as children in 1920s Holland and sent to live with rich and poor relations respectively.

Tracking the threads of their estrangement and reconciliation across the decades to the crisis years of WWII, this takes the luxury of a slow buildup, and requires a dedicated viewing, but repays with superb performances and period re-enactments. Perhaps falling back on a few familiar melodramatics, this was still good enough to be Oscar-nominated. Its source novel by Tessa de Loo, sold over 3 million copies in Europe.

NZ International Film Festival 2004