Ajyal Film Festival 2024

All Films

Mike Says Goodbye! (De Groeten van Mike!)

Hilal - ages 13+

للترجمة العربية اضغط على

Maria Peters / Feature Narrative / Netherlands, The / 2012 / 93 min / Colour / DCP
In Dutch / Arabic, English subtitles
Interests: Social Issues, Dramedy, Youth, Family
Gulf Premiere

Synopsis

In Competition

Winner of several awards at the Galicja International Children’s Film Festival and the Giffoni Film Festival, and blessed with a commanding performance by Maas Bronkhuyzen as the resourceful title character, ‘Mike Says Goodbye!’ is a modern-day fairytale that skillfully balances comedy and drama, displaying a light, ultimately uplifting tone in spite of its serious topic.

Mike, a high-spirited 10-year-old, has been in hospital with leukemia for months. Now, he’s responding well to his new therapy and can finally go home. He is brimming with joy at the idea of returning to a normal life, but when his mother doesn’t show up to collect him, things get complicated. It turns out this isn’t the first time Mum has behaved irresponsibly, and now it looks like a devastated Mike is going to be sent off to a foster home.

Mike’s mother eventually starts to get her life back on track, but time is running out. With help from his roommate Vincent, Mike comes up with some unconventional strategies to foil the plans of the heartless childcare inspector (who resembles a real-life Cruella de Vil) to send him to live with another family. As Christmas approaches, will Mike be able to celebrate at home with his mum?

Official Film Website

About the Directors

Maria Peters is a graduate of the Dutch Film Academy. In 1987, she, Dave Schram and Hans Pos started the Shooting Star Filmcompany; the company’s 1993 co-production ‘Daens’, directed by Stijn Coninx, was nominated for the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film. Peters received a Crystal Bear for ‘The Purse Snatcher’ (1995); her ‘Little Crumb’ (1999) had an all-time box-office record in the Netherlands and ‘Sonny Boy’ (2012) was selected as the Dutch entry for the Academy Awards.

Credits

Director
Maria Peters
Screenwriter
Mirjam Oomkes, Willemine van der Wiel
Producer
Dave Schram, Maria Peters, Hans Pos, Danielle Guirguis
Editor
Robin de Jong
Music
Herman Witkam
Cinematographer
Erwin Steen
Sales Company
Mountain Road Entertainment Group
Production Company
Shooting Star Film Company
Cast
Maas Bronkhuyzen, Faas Wijn, Bracha van Doesburgh, Leona Philippo, Carine Crutzen, Vincent Croiset

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