Klantreis

Starting a new life in the Netherlands sounds hopeful, but in practice it turns out to be a complicated journey past counters, forms and endless rules. In Breda, filmmaker Ton van Zantvoort follows a Syrian family and two sisters from Saudi Arabia who are trying to find their way in Dutch society. From arranging housing and finances to language lessons, finding work and getting to know typical Dutch customs: new challenges await everywhere. While well-meaning officials and supervisors try to help them on their way, the system sometimes turns out to be so complicated that no one can make sense of it anymore. With humor and an eye for the human side, this revealing documentary shows how newcomers get stuck in a bureaucratic maze. And the film raises a provocative question: how can you expect people to adapt to a society that barely understands its own rules?