One Way Ticket to Bussum

"My name is Rajeev. I live in Bussum, the Netherlands. My parents are Rezia and Neill. I'm from India, from Mount Abu." Those are the first lines in the voice-over by 12-year-old Rajeev in . He was adopted when he was two years old and can remember very little about India. He's from a Dutch family, just like his blond sister: "On the outside I'm an Indian person, but the rest is Dutch." Rajeev's scant knowledge of Indian culture is largely drawn from his visits to an Indian restaurant, where he explores Indian cuisine, and learns some Hindi words from the chef. Because he has so few memories of his native country, he'd really like to visit, but first he'll have to convince his parents he's ready. Director Renée Wilna Span takes some artistic liberties in her editing to express Rajeev's Indian heritage. Scenes of his Dutch life are intercut with slow shots of the Indian paraphernalia Rajeev has collected in his room, while Indian music plays in the background. It's a dreamlike picture that seems to correspond to Rajeev's own conception of India.