film - 2021 - NL

rules of war

In South Sudan, soldiers put down their weapons and break bread with a curious stranger.

The lands of South Sudan have witnessed unceasing violence, from Anglo-Egyptian colonial suppression through today's civil war. Guido Hendrikx's curious observational documentary studies an outsider named Albert as he crosses the inlands of this beautiful, wounded country in a speedboat. Employed by a European humanitarian organization, Albert comes with a mission: to teach this country's fighting soldiers the Rules of War. Developed during the Geneva Conventions, these Rules intend to protect soldiers and civilians against inhumane treatment. Armed with his own military experience, his steadfast determination, and a set of miniature figurines, Albert earnestly delivers his pitch to exhausted young soldiers. Misunderstandings surface again and again in this hyper-masculine space, but by and large, all parties are determined to get something, anything out of the exchange.

director
Guido Hendrikx
writer
Guido Hendrikx, Victor de Kok
release
2021
producers
Lemming Film (NL)
co-producer
Aventura
director of photography
Emo Weemhoff
editor
Lot Rossmark
sound recordist
Taco Drijfhout
broadcaster
VPRO