Wim Kok

Ruud Lubbers was the longest-serving Prime Minister of The Netherlands. For twelve years, he was a defining force in Dutch politics. Elusive and influential. How did he manage to stay in power for so long?

More than any other prime minister, Wim Kok has to deal with explosive dossiers. After the fall of Srebrenica during Kok I, thorny issues once again lie on his plate in the second term: the role of Jorge Zorreguieta and the assassination of Pim Fortuyn.

"It was a kind of flywheel that you set in motion; I couldn't turn back at all," says Hans van Mierlo in the film about his political career. That career began in 1966 when he founded the political party D66 with a number of like-minded individuals. Clearly visible from the editorial office of the Algemeen Handelsblad on the Nieuwezijds Voorburgwal in Amsterdam, the unrest was crowing, fueled by Provo. The pillar society, which had kept the Netherlands afloat for so long, was no longer adequate. That was his analysis, and a much more direct democracy would have to take its place.

No film-maker has ever before been given permission to follow a Dutch election campaign with the camera. On the basis of a few contractual conditions, film-maker Niek Koppen was given a glimpse into the 'kitchen' of the Labour Party election campaign in 1998. From the making of the publicity photos by Anton Corbijn to the celebration of the election victory on 6 May 1998. In the Prime Minister's residence, Koppen recorded how decisions were taken during intimate discussions, phone calls and meals. The film focuses on the arduous cooperation between the veterans Wim Kok and Jacques Wallage and the much younger campaign director Karin Adelmund. De keuken van Kok (Working for Labour) provides a picture of the emotions, ambitions, tactics and the ups and downs of a long and tiring process. (filmcommission.nl)

What does Pim Fortuyn's legacy mean for the Netherlands today? How have his rise and his assassination changed the political and societal debate on migration? And what does that say about Dutch views on tolerance and diversity? In the eight-part KRO-NCRV documentary series Fortuyn: Un-Hollands, producer mint film office gives a voice to people who were barely heard at the time, but who were right at the center of the Fortuyn debate. Critics, political allies and opponents, men and women, with a bicultural background and white, tell how they experienced the Fortuyn revolt and what influence Pim Fortuyn had – and still has – on their lives and positions in the Netherlands.

Insiders, close friends, and experts talk about the impressive life of Princess Beatrix: the powerful woman, friend, and mother behind the office.

The marriage between Willem-Alexander and Máxima reads like a fairy tale, but one in which love, duty, and public opinion constantly clash. Insiders, close friends, and experts explain how the relationship comes under pressure as soon as private choices have public consequences.

Crown Prince Willem-Alexander and Máxima Zorreguieta got married on February 2, 2002. In this documentary series, a revealing reconstruction of the run-up to the royal wedding is made on the basis of previously unpublished documents and conversations with those directly involved.