80 FACES OF FREEDOM

Synopsis

On May 5th, 1945 the Netherlands was officially liberated from Nazi occupation by Allied Forces, mostly Canadian. My parents were among the generation that survived occupation and lived through the 'Hunger Winter', often eating tulip bulbs to survive. Now, 80 years since the war ended, the stories of those who survived are here to remind us of the perils of war. As the world faces new totalitarian threats, these stories are more relevant than they ever have been in my lifetime. Inspired by a photo of my Aunt Femie, wearing her only dress, standing on the street waving at Allied tanks on Liberation Day May 1945, I have been seeking out and interviewing the remaining survivors of that period. Over the last 2 years, I have met with 80 people, the length and breadth of the Netherlands, one for each year of freedom. These are their stories.

Director's Biography

Jason van Bruggen is a Dutch-Indonesian-Canadian visual artist whose work spans motion pictures and photographs. His documentary/near-documentary work is focussed on the relationship we have with our changing world. Through large-scale photographs, often shown as installations where the context is as important as the photograph itself, and filmed narratives, he asks questions about whether we have reached our peak as a species and whether we can engineer our way past the mortal and self-inflicted challenges of climate change and population growth.

van Bruggen’s photographic work is informed by his experiences traveling to over 150 countries as an international development worker, a professional adventurer, and a military contractor. His film work bears witness to the profound disconnection between people and planet. Jason’s interest in history and the patterns of human behaviour is now contextualized through the modern age, where life feels more advanced than ever, but entirely impermanent; denial as well as a belief in engineering and technology give us false comfort as we confront unfamiliar challenges.

Jason holds a Masters Degree in History from Queen’s University. He is a fellow International of the Explorers Club and a Fellow of the Royal Canadian Geographic Society. He is a TEDx 2021 speaker, and is represented as an artist around the world. Large scale commissions from Fortune 500 companies, the Government of the Netherlands and other institutional and collectors drive his fine art practice. His work as a visual artist has been profiled by National Geographic, Fast Company, Outside Magazine, The Explorers Journal; and his film work has aired on networks around the world including CNN, BBC, PBS, CBS, CBC, and SRF1, and has been shown at some of North America’s s most prestigious film festivals. His commercial work is infused with documentary process and seeks out deeply human narratives while demonstrating a clear appreciation for the natural world and our shifting role within it. His work has been profiled and awarded by the Cannes Lions, Cios, Applied Arts, Communication Arts, ADCC, Shoots, PDN and numerous international award shows. Jason was named as one of the Top 10 Commercial Directors in the World by the Cannes Festival for Creativity's Talent Report in 2023, as well as one of the "people shaping the future of Creativity" His work won the top honours in Fast Company’s List of “50 World Changing ideas” in 2024.