Janine Veeren

Set in Curacao in the 1940s, Ava & Gabriel: A Love Story tells of the painter Gabriel Goedbloed, who arrives from Holland to paint a mural of the Virgin Mary in a local church. Gabriel is black, originally from Surinam. The colonial Antillian society proves less than tolerant towards him, especially after he chooses as his model a young Black teacher, Ava

This is the life of Kees Heistee. Kees is married to the charming, good-natured Ben, and together they have two children: their daughter Anne, a nightmare for any mother, and their son Rudie, who has a taste for the morbid. Her best friend and next-door neighbor, Sonja, also plays a major role in her life. Kees tries to teach her family morals and values, but so far, that seems impossible...