Simply Human

A half-hour TV documentary
 
Languages spoken: Dutch, English, Hebrew
Dutch, English and Hebrew versions are now available 
 
You can watch it here

'Simply Human’ tells the story of Mrs. Hans Snoek, a 90 year old Dutch dancer who has dedicated her life to helping people.

Famous in the Netherlands for being the creator of the Scapino Ballet (an adult group dancing for children), the Krakeling theater (a children's theater) and many more artistic and humanistic activities, including the creation - just three years before - of the Toverbal ("Magic Ball": a foundation dedicated to help refugee children in the Netherlands to overcome their traumatic experiences through the experience of Arts), for all these contributions she's received top honours from the Dutch Queen and other Dutch institutions.

Famous as she was, there's one part of Hans Snoek's life that was little known and that sheds light on her unique character.

During World War II she hid Jewish people in her home in Amsterdam, and for risking her life in this way she's received the Righteous Among the Nations Award from Yad Vashem (the holocaust memorial institute in Jerusalem.)

The film focuses on the first ever trip she and her husband since 50 years, the television pioneer Erik de Vries, made to Israel in October 2000. Through her meetings with one of the women whose life she saved, her visit to Yad Vashem, her visit to a dance school in a kibbutz, where, at this age (!), she's dancing with the teenagers, we get to know this unpretentious and modest woman who considers all what she's done to be "simply human".

The film ends with the realization of Hans’ childhood dream to become an orchestra conductor, when the Israeli Philharmonic Orchestra is playing a Schubert march under her amazingly able hands.

Simply Human is a documentary about a single woman in a terrifying world, who makes us all look closely at ourselves.

Credits:

Camera
Oded Kirma
Erik Bannenberg

Sound
Ashi Milo
Ronald Niehaus

Footage
NAA
Polygoon

Script
Izzy Abrahami

Off-Line Editor
Erga Netz

On-Line Editor
Juan Morales

Associate Producer
Robert Stel

Producer
Erga Netz

Director
Izzy Abrahami

Produced by Abrahami-Netz TV Productions
for NIKmedia

This program was made possible with the help of
Kas-Associatie NV, Stichting WJO de Vries-Fonds
Mama Cash