Why My Mum Loves Russell Crowe 

(Short Documentary, 2022)

A documentary that sees a daughter exploring her own mother’s past experiences of sexual abuse, the trauma that lies within, and the way it shapes their relationship and inherited fear.

*TBA

Millenium Docs Against Gravity (2023) – Across various cities in Poland

DOK Leipzig (2022) – Leipzig, Germany *International Premiere

Nederlands Film Festival (2022) – Utrecht, The Netherlands *World Premiere 

Credits

‘Why My Mum Loves Russell Crowe’ tells a personal story of how trauma passes between mother and daughter and forms a persistent presence in their lives.

Directed, Filmed & Edited………Emma van den Berg

Associate Producer………………Imoje Aikhoje

Music Composer………………….Joel Whitaker

Colorist……………………………….Joshua Bradbeer

Subtitles………………………………Emma Morgan-Bennet

Styling…………………………………Danceney Gijsbertha

Thanks to : Coby van den Berg, Barbara Gozens, Stephanie Gude, Sabine Nieuwenhuys, Rob Thijssen, Inge Borggreve

Special Thanks to : Daisy Asquith, Jack Evans, Laura Belinky,

Prins Bernhard Cultuurfonds

Goldsmiths, University of London 2021

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Mama

(Video Installation, 2018)

MILK - Short Film (2017)

Graduation Work, Gerrit Rietveld Academie:

Emma van den Berg questions the personal and intimate space between a mother and her daughter. Specific moments of a single mother with her only child are documented in the film ‘Doei, Stomme Trut’ (see below) by the following and filming of Mical and Stephanie. Grown up as the only child of a single mother herself Emma van den Berg tries to capture the specific, intimate and narrow space of a symbiotic relationship, that can feel as much safe as oppressive. Next to the film ‘Doei, Stomme Trut’ the personal video installation ‘Mama’ (choreographed and facilitated by Pedro Matias) is shown of Emma van den Berg and her mother in a filmed performance. This film explores and questions the symbiotic space between a mother and her daughter. The specific personal memory of a mother brushing a child’s hair, becomes a way to research the attachment/detachment between parent and child.

By the turning of the camera, (away from her subjects and on to the film maker herself) a shift in perspective, viewing and acting takes place by replacing the tools of a documentary maker for those of the performer.

 

* MERGE FEST (2018)

Doei, Stomme Trut

(Short Documentary, 2018)

Poster Film - Click for Trailer

In ‘Doei, Stomme Trut’ I follow my close friend Mical and her mother Stephanie a month prior to Mical’s departure from Amsterdam Schiphol Airport. Mical is a 24 year old girl who lives at home with her mother until this day. Her mother Stephanie raised Mical for the most part by her own. Even though they are two very individual characters, they’ve also shared their living space closely for the last 25 years and are strongly attached to each other. Now that is about to change since Mical booked her one way ticket to move to San Francisco and start her new life there. A shift of family related space, a shift of time.

* Nederlands Film Festival – Studenten Competitie (2018)

Tuintjes, Tuintjes

(Short Film, 2017)

Tuintjes Tuintjes (Gardens Gardens)

‘Tuintjes Tuintjes’ is a short film recorded at Tungsten Studio in 2017. Questioning the notion of a personal space, ‘Tuintjes tuintjes’ is a long-take video which guides the viewer through these personal spaces and unique worlds, ending up looking at the environments from a birds’s-eye view.

Directed and edited by: Emma van den Berg

Camera by: Navid Tansaz & Jorne Tielemans

Sound by: Rick Haring

Recorded at: Tungsten Studio, Broek in Waterland, the Netherlands.

Gerrit Rietveld Academie, 2017.

MILK

(Short Film, 2017)

MILK’ is a short film about two girls living together, and questions the bounderies in personal space when two people share their living space. This films was made during an exchange program at the cinema department of Ar.Co, in Lisbon, Portugal (2016-2017).

Cast: Alice Sprascio & Suzanne Cleerdin

Filmed & Edited by: Emma van den Berg

Thanks to: Camila Vale & Victor Jorge