'A Family' stars Carice Van Houten in emotional Berlin-bound divorce drama

Carice van Houten makes her appearance at the Berlinale this month in the Dutch drama A Family by Mees Peijnenburg.

The Game of Thrones and Black Book actress returns to theaters for the first time in six years, following her roles in numerous TV series such as the thriller Malice, alongside Jack Whitehall and David Duchovny.

Peijnenburg’s heartfelt drama explores the dissolution of a family viewed through the eyes of 14-year-old Eli and his 17-year-old sister Nina, as they navigate swings between loyalty, resentment towards their parents, and a desire for emotional stability and belonging.

“I connected with the project right away; it’s a tale of family relationships and our shared need for emotional stability when everything else seems unsteady,” expressed van Houten.

Joining her in the film are Pieter Embrechts as the father, along with up-and-coming talents Celeste Holsheimer and Finn Vogels in lead roles.

This marks Peijnenburg’s second feature film. He is considered one of the emerging talents in Dutch directing. 

His first feature, Paradise Drifters, debuted at the Berlinale in 2020 following his short films A Hole in My Heart and Even Cowboys Get to Cry, both of which also premiered at the festival.

Peijnenburg collaborates again with Paradise Drifters cinematographer Jasper Wolf, who has been involved in numerous films since, including David Verbeek’s Dead and Beautiful, Ása Helga Hjörleifsdóttir’s A Letter From Helga, Guy Nattiv’s Golda, and Halina Reijn’s Babygirl.

The film is produced by Iris Otten and Nathalie van der Burg of Amsterdam-based Juliet at Pupkin, co-produced with Michiel and Lukas Dhont of The Reunion, creators of Cannes award-winner Girl and the acclaimed Close.