Grijsgedraaid

Planning to shoot Grijsgedraaid, a documentary portraying a number of elderly ladies, director Ina van Beek and cameraman Steffie Phlippen originally intended an absurdistic camerapolicy, with slanting frames and grotesque close-ups. However, while shooting, they abandoned these intentions, when they discovered that the reality of daily life in a home-for-the-elderly possesses enough absurdistic qualities in itself. Through effective editing the laughter than gradually turns in to dismay. What we are watching is not funny at all, but a harrowing account of the sad and piteous aspects of old life. As the final chord we are shown the rear lights of a hearse flash on the tones Hildegard Knefs’ So oder so ist das Leben.