Things That Matter

Frans Bromet has been living in the Dutch town of Ilpendam for more than 40 years, and in those years he has seen the world change dramatically - and not always in a good way, he believes. While his daughter Laura gets involved in politics as a local councilwoman and national member of the left-wing Green Party, Frans searches out social wrongs. He encounters them mostly in the omnipresent management culture. As far as he's concerned, managers are only interested in growth and dehumanizing society, and in so many fields: health care and elderly care, housing, education, telecommunication, energy, the financial sector, and the public broadcasting system. The most basic things are now being sold as products. Supposedly it's intended to improve efficiency and streamline things, but really it's just helping to line the pockets of the ever-growing legions of managers. Father and daughter don't always agree, as we can see from their heated conversations. To emphasize their viewpoints, they confront each other with a filmmaker, a historian, and a pastor. Meanwhile, Laura moves to a house with a better view. Bromet lovers won't be surprised to see that this family investigation of the modern-day zeitgeist is rendered with a generous dose of humor, which helps to keep it all in perspective. (International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam)