Tessa Kortmulder

“A film that never explicitly states what it’s about, but silently communicates it. A film with both poetic quality and liberating realism, tension, and occasional smiles. A narrative driven by improvisation yet always seeming to be in control. It’s a film that provides the viewer with peace and breathing space to form thoughts and that demonstrates a natural filmmaking talent.”
– The Netherlands Film Fund

“The beauty and strength of the film lie in its exploration and questioning of ‘genuine connection’. It employs elements of light and dark and switches between footage of everyday life and poetic moments. The characters undertake a journey together, which speaks about human growth and unexpected connections.” – Metropolis M Magazine

Directors statement

In February 2023, my team (four crew members, two actors, and a dog) and I traveled to southern France to shoot Whether I’d pass Lyon. We broke away from traditional film set conventions, embracing improvisation and blurring the lines between fiction and reality. The actors hadn’t read the script, and we all camped at undisclosed locations. Though this process was more exhausting and stressful than we had anticipated, it resulted in unique scenes and visuals.

During editing, a second study emerged: deciding how much information to give the audience without losing the story or characters. This led me to reflect on the difference between a novel and a poem — poems, while generally shorter, leave more room for readers to create their own interpretations, themes, and emotions.

These reflections resurfaced during my graduation in July 2023, as the first reactions to the film came in. I found joy in listening to viewers who told me about their interpretation of the film, offered detailed character analyses, and even created elaborate backstories in just 25 minutes. But perhaps the most touching response came from an elderly woman who, after watching the film, smiled and simply said, “Well, that’s life, isn’t it?”