The Prison Village - Veenhuizen in the Twentieth Century

Original title: Het gevangenisdorp - Veenhuizen in de twintigste eeuw. Dutch writer Mariët Meester grew up in a prison village, Veenhuizen, surrounded by hundreds of No Trespassing signs. At the beginning of the twentieth century homeless men, the so-called 'patients', were housed there in three asylums. During World War II the asylums became prisons. The documentary The Prison Village - Veenhuizen in the Twentieth Century depicts a remarkable enclave in the Netherlands. Residents and former residents told Mariët Meester about working and living in this closed community. Director Jaap de Ruig filmed the interviews. Stichting Beeldlijn asked him to use these images as a starting point for a documentary. Documentary, 2014, 48 min. Directing, camera, montage: Jaap de Ruig Interviews: Mariët Meester Interview Mariët Meester: Louise Koopman Music: Jaap de Ruig Producer: Stichting Beeldlijn Executive producer: Lejo Siepe