IFFR Art Directions – My Sweet Elora

Throughout the festival, you'll find the art installation "My Sweet Elora" at Plein. This installation reveals the hidden stories that lie dormant within a family for generations. Using film and photography, Luuk van Raamsdonk breaks open family patterns and makes visible what remains unspoken.

My Sweet Elora - Luuk Van Raamsdonk

Canada, Belgium, Netherlands | 2025 | 5'

My Sweet Elora reveals the hidden stories that lie dormant in a family for generations. Using film and photography, Luuk van Raamsdonk breaks down family patterns and makes visible what remains unspoken.

In 1970, Luuk van Raamsdonk's grandfather disappeared for three months. He returned without explanation. More than fifty years later, van Raamsdonk's father had an affair. The fact that his father was named after Yuri Zhivago, the protagonist of Dr. Zhivago, his grandfather's beloved film, only makes this resonance louder. Zhivago, too, lives between loyalty and desire, and his love affair throws his world into disarray.

While searching for answers about his grandfather's mysterious temporary disappearance, Van Raamsdonk discovers a clue in the family archives to Elora, a small Canadian village where his grandfather once had a secret affair. To better understand this history, he traveled to Elora himself and recorded the landscape, speculative memories, and traces of his grandfather.

My Sweet Elora evolves into a layered image archive of photographs, family VHS tapes, and scenes from Dr. Zhivago, rhythmically interwoven with the voice of Van Raamsdonk's grandfather.

IFFR on Plein

Fenix is joining forces with IFFR, the International Film Festival Rotterdam. From film screenings and hands-on activities to a kids' corner and Film Club events, there's plenty to do at Plein from February 6th to 8th.