Michiel van Erp

Biography director Michiel van Erp

In 1996 Michiel van Erp started his career as a documentary maker with ‘Lang Leve…’ (‘Long Live…’), a documentary series of 59 episodes for television, about Dutch people and their hopes and desires. He won national and international prices with these series. His long documentary ‘A Funfair behind the Dikes’ (2007), about the leisure industry in the Netherlands was a huge success in Dutch cinemas and shown at many filmfestivals around the world.
In 2009 the documentary ‘Fear’ followed. This movie about people struggling with various anxiety disorders caused quite a stir when it was released in Dutch cinemas. Van Erp’s films cover many subjects, for example ‘Forget Me Not’ (2002) a portrait of singer Mary Servaes, from the perspective of her fans, ‘Stuck’ (2008), which shows how people spend their time while stuck in traffic, ‘On Beauty and Fall’ (2009) about the famous photographer Erwin Olaf, and ‘Beatrix, Queen’ (2009) a portrait of Dutch queen Beatrix and her namesakes. His most recent documentary ‘I am a woman now’ (2012) covers the first generation of transsexuals, who had their sex change in Casablanca back in the 1950s to 1970s. Van Erp also makes television series, directs theatre plays and recently published his first book.

FILMOGRAPHY MICHIEL VAN ERP (director)

2011 I am a woman now (documentary, 86 min.)
The first generation of transsexuals, who had their sex change by the same ‘miracle doctor’ in Casablanca back in the 1950s to 1970s, take stock of their lives (De Familie/VPRO).

2011 Erop of eronder (documentary, 50 min.)
About Comedytrain, the world famous stand-up comedian troupe, based in Amsterdam (De Familie/VARA).

2010 Toen zij uit Rotterdam vertrokken (documentary, 55 min.)
About the start of the Tour de France 2010 from Rotterdam (De Familie/RTV Rijnmond).
Persprijs Rotterdam 2010

2010 Caracal (stage play)
A woman lives alone. Written by Judith Herzberg. Produced by theatre company Hummelinck Stuurman.

2009 Beatrix,Queen (documentary, original title: Beatrix, Majesteit, 75 min.)
Portrait of our queen Her Majesty Beatrix van Oranje Nassau through the eyes of her people (De Familie/HUMAN).

2009 Erwin Olaf On Beauty and Fall (documentary, 55 min.)
Michiel van Erp provides a portrait of international art dealing as seen through the eyes of ‘the most highly visible Dutch artist abroad'(De Familie/NPS).

2009 Welcome to Holland, season II (documentary series, original title: Welkom in Nederland II, 6 x 25 min.)
About integration in Dutch society (De Familie/VARA).

2009 Fear (cinema documentary, original title: Angst, 86 min.)
Portrait of people struggling with anxiety disorders
(De Familie/NPS).

2008 Europa hoort bij Nederland (12 short internet documentaries)
Campaign in assignment of the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

2008 Smoeder (drama, 50 min.)
Based on famous theatre play Smoeder, by and with Maria Goos and Marcel Musters (De Familie/VPRO).

2008 Stuck (documentary, original title: File, 50 min.)
Portrait of Dutch people who spend long hours in their cars. In assignment of Nederland Bereikbaar (De Familie/NCRV).

2008 Thermos, sex in the sauna (documentary, original title: Profiel: Sex in de sauna, 35 min.)
Portrait of the biggest gay sauna in the world: Thermos in Amsterdam (De Familie/HUMAN)

2008 Profile: The King of the Red Light District (documentary, original title: Profiel: Charles Geerts, Koning van de Wallen, 35 min.)
Portrait of Charles Geerts during the period of the infamous sale of his brothels to the Amsterdam city government (De Familie/HUMAN).

2007-2008 Welcome to Holland, season I (documentary series, original title: Welkom in Nederland I, 6 x 25 min.)
About integration in Dutch society (De Familie/VARA).

2007 Volle Zalen (documentary series)
Television program in which Cornald Maas interviews a successful Dutch artist during an important moment in his or her career (De Familie/NPS).

2007 Centraal Beheer
Commercial for Centraal Beheer (De Familie/Götz Film).

2007 Veterans Day (commercials and internet documentaries, original title: Veteranen)
About Dutch Army veterans, in assignment of the Dutch Ministry of Defense (De Familie/Roorda).

2007 Mug-Inn on Tour (stage play)
Produced by theatre company mugmetdegoudentand. Director/actor.

2007 Profile: Animal Rights Party on Drift (documentary, original title: Profiel: Partij voor de Dieren onder vuur, 35 min.)
Portrait of the first political movement for animal rights in the world (De Familie/HUMAN).

2006 A Funfair behind the Dikes (cinema documentary, original title: Pretpark Nederland, 90 min.)
About the leisure industry in the Netherlands (De Familie/NPS).

2006 Divina Gloria (television drama, 40 min.)
Dutch people coming to terms in the Amsterdam botanical garden (Pupkin Film/NPS/VARA/VPRO).

2007 Sylvia Kristel: Nu (documentary, 50 min.)
About the Dutch movie star Sylvia Kristel, who after ending her career tries to survive (De Familie/NPS).

2006 Profile: Uncle Gerrit (documentary, original title: Profiel: Gerrit van der Valk, 35 min.)
Portrait of famous Dutch hotel tycoon Gerrit van der Valk (De Familie/HUMAN).

2006 Stories from the Cold (mockumentary, original title: De Toekomst: Warme verhalen voor bij de centrale verwarming, 25 min.)
Inhabitants of a Dutch village try to survive living without electricity during the winter. Co-director: Lernert Engelberts (VPRO).

2006 Mug Inn (stage play)
About surviving modern life. Produced by theatre company mugmetdegoudentand. Director/actor.

2005 In Search of Sacred Time (documentary, original title: Op zoek naar de Heilige Tijd, 50 min.)
A year in the life of famous Dutch writer Connie Palmen (De Familie/NPS).

2005 Family Stories (four documentaries on dvd, original title: Familieportretten)
About working class families, with Maria Goos (De Familie/IDTV).

2005 Voor de Geraniums (book)
Published by Prometheus.

2005 Brak (stage play)
About two old sisters waiting to die. Written by Frank Houtappels. Produced by theatre company mugmetdegoudentand.

2004 Lost Heart (documentary, original title: Een verloren hart, 40 min.)
Documentary about a failed heart transplantation in assignment of the Dutch Heart Foundation (AVRO).

2004 Het Defilé (documentary)
Documentary about Prince Bernhard of The Netherlands and his role during World War II (NOS).

2003-2004 On Adventure (documentary series, original title: Op Avontuur)
Television series about brave people (VARA).

2003 Prince of Hearts (documentary, original title: Op handen gedragen)
Behind the scenes at the funeral of Prince Claus, the first member of the royal family to die in the Netherlands in 50 years (VARA/NOS Actueel).

2003 The Cuckoo’s Nest (mockumentary series, original title: De Koekoeksclub, 7 x 25 min.)
About modern Dutch life (De Toko/VPRO).

2002 Don’t Forget Me (documentary, original title: Vergeet mij niet, 50 min.)
Documentary about singer Mary Servaes, aka “the Nameless Singer”
– Nominated for a Golden Calf for best short documentary at the Dutch Film Festival

2002 Tourist (stage play)
Longing for a Better Life (part two). Produced by theatre company mugmetdegoudentand.

2001 Mexico: The Paradise in Me (stage play)
Longing for a Better Life (part one). Produced by theatre company mugmetdegoudentand.

2000 The Queen on her way (documentary, original title: De Koningin komt eraan)
About de preparations of a Dutch town in expectation of the visit of the Queen (NOS).

1996-2003 Lang Leve… (documentary series, 21 episodes)
About hope and desire
– Silver medal award, on New York Film Festival for episode Het Verzet / Long Live the Resistance
– Golden plaque, on Chicago Filmfest for episode Hennie, Kitty, Juul / Kees or Kitty, about heterosexual transvestites
Ons Genoegen (13 episodes)
Lang Leve de Victorie (9 episodes)
Lang Leve de Kampioen (9 episodes)
– Honourable mention Nipkow, best of Dutch tv and radio
Lang Leve Nederland (7 episodes)
– Nominated for Gouden Beeld at the Dutch Academy Awards
Lang Leve de Vereniging (12 episodes)
(All produced by VARA)

Michiel van Erp (Eindhoven, October 4, 1963) graduated in 1988 from the Technical University in Delft (Industrial Design). From 1988 until 1992 he worked as an actor for various theatre companies. He started his work for television in 1991, making various children programmes for the VPRO.