Gewoon Hans

The father of the seventeen-year-old Katinka is a huge fan of the Dutch comedian Hans Teeuwen. The small house of the Vermeulen family breathes him: the TV blares Hans Teeuwen shows all day long, there are posters everywhere and numerous CDs and DVDs swing through the room. The Teeuwen Excess leads to fears and delusions in Katinka. She gets nightmares in which Hans Teeuwen reveals himself to her: she hears his voice regularly and she thinks she sees him appear now and then. Katinka tells her psychiatrist about her nightmare that Hans Teeuwen rapes her teddy bear while calling out her name. The psychiatrist advises her to meet Teeuwen in real life, because in this way she may be able to adjust the image she has created herself.

Directed by Diederik Ebbinge, Gewoon Hans leans on a strong ensemble — Hans Teeuwen, Jamie Grant, Renée Fokker — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.

The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about comedy titles of 2009.