Coco Schrijber’s documentary “How to Meet a Mermaid” examines the unpredictable nature of the sea and the stories of Lex, Rebecca, and Miguel, three protagonists who entrust their lives to the water in search of a better place. Though the sea has many faces — friendship, beauty, solace, strength — it’s what we choose to see it in that matters most. Schrijber conquers her fear of the sea by taking a plunge to the bottom in search of an answer for her brother’s disappearance, all the while meditating on what the sea means to others. Watch an exclusive trailer for the film below.
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“‘Life of Pi,’ ‘All is Lost,’ ‘Dead Calm,’ ‘Cast Away’; all are stunning films, each with the sea as their subject,” says Schrijber. “Nonetheless, they all deal with ‘the will to survive’, as emphasized in their trailers. ‘How to Meet a Mermaid,’ by contrast, deals with ‘the will to die,’ which exists alongside the former and triumphs over it on occasion. Just as with survival, this will to perish requires its own share of courage and strength of will. My protagonists have made their choice; for Lex and Rebecca, grim determination takes them past death’s doorstep, whereas Miguel rushes headlong into a desperate adventure, as thousands upon thousands of illegal immigrants are doing at this very moment.”
“How to Meet a Mermaid” will have its world premiere tonight, Friday, November 18, at 8 p.m. at Tuschinski 1 as part of Amsterdam’s International Documentary Film Festival. It will have additional screenings at Sunday, November 20, at 7 p.m. at Ketelhuis Zaal 1; Tuesday, November 22, at 6:30 p.m. at Munt 10; Wednesday, November 23 at 3:30 p.m. at Eye Cinema 1; and finally, Sunday, November 27 at 4 p.m. at Lux IDFA 6.
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