The Lie

This musical documentary exposes the machinations behind the 2006 political drama surrounding former Dutch parliamentarian Ayaan Hirsi Ali: during her 1992 political asylum application process, she had provided a false name and birth date. When her lie was discovered in 2006, Minister for Immigration and fellow party member Rita Verdonk saw no option but to deprive Hirsi Ali of her Dutch citizenship. The issue led to the fall of Prime Minister Balkenende's second coalition cabinet on June 29, 2006. In , the key actors in the drama look back on this turbulent period. They include Rita Verdonk, Ayaan Hirsi Ali, politician Hilbrand Nawijn, Green Left party leader Femke Halsema, lawyer Britta Böhler and former Speaker of the Lower House Frans Weisglas. Strategic political intrigues are contrasted with everyday reality in scenes featuring an Iranian family that has been fighting for residence permits for many years. The film soars beyond that everyday reality, however, when politicians, asylum seekers and Dutch citizens sing about feelings that are rarely verbalized in interviews, allowing us to see their fallible, vulnerable side. Femke Halsema adds to this a critical analysis of her own role in the political game, while Rita Verdonk is filmed at home and in the Vrijheid (Freedom) snack bar. The dust has settled, and "Iron Rita," now a regular citizen, looks back on the decision she made.