Het is niet mis wat zij doen

In 1974 Van der Elsken made a ‘synchronous slide/sound reportage’ about Bangladesh. This report was broadcast by the NCRV as the start of a national relief action. Subsequently Van der Elsken was commissioned by the catholic organisation Medical Mission Action (Memisa) to make a number of photo reportages, a TV commercial and a documentary about the work of this foundation in Third World countries. Van der Elsken and sound engineer Anneke Hilhorst made a tour of projects in Asia, South America and the Caribbean. To keep expenditure down, the film HET IS NIET MIS WAT ZIJ DOEN was shot on Super-8 film. Van der Elsken: ‘Obviously you don‘t want to spend an enormous amount of money on a film that is eventually meant to bring in money.‘ Besides, the globetrotter knew from experience that he would not even be allowed to enter some less democratic countries with highly professional equipment. Driven by necessity, form and content merged. ‘It is a very fine begging film.‘