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Year of Production 2025

Award Winner

Invisible Ones, The

English title: Invisible Ones, The
Original title: Invisible Ones, The
German title: Invisible Ones, The
Netherlands, 2024

Director: Blekendaal, Martijn
Production company: Cerutti Film
Co-producers: Associate Directors, VPRO
Length: 75 min.
Film genre: Documentary

Synopsis:
There are children who by necessity have learned to make themselves invisible. Invisible because they are ashamed. Invisible because their environment demands it of them. Invisible because otherwise they are not sure of their lives. Filmmaker Martijn Blekendaal also learned to make himself invisible. He thinks there should be a superhero for these ‘invisible’ children. In The Invisible Ones, he tells the stories of four children – some of whom are now 85 years old – who mastered the art of remaining unnoticed.

Those children include Mrs Walvisch, who managed to keep quiet as a mouse during the Second World War. But also a man, nicknamed ‘Little Brother’, who has surrounded himself with hundreds of coloured lights and plastic flowers since the darkness of his hiding. Or Samir, a boy who wants to tell his story but has to remain invisible to ensure his own safety. And finally, the Palestinian Mohammed, who lived an invisible life for years because of his sexual orientation. To flee the violence in Gaza and enter Europe, he had to make himself invisible again.

These impressive life stories prompted an investigation into the development of the invisible hero in film history. In order to eventually bring to life an invisible superhero who can watch over all invisible children as a guardian angel. The Invisible Ones is therefore a tribute to invisible children and the superpowers in all, even the most ordinary people.

Festivals:
IDFA Amsterdam 2024 (awarded), JEF CFF Vlaanderen 2025, Let's dok festival Warsaw 2025 ( Award)

interview available

World sales address/es:
Cerutti Film (NL)