A romantic comedy from Drenthe. For four days, Tea Time in Echten is the setting for the film Winter Time. It is an idea of Noortje Knol from Meppel and it is now becoming reality.
The film is about a city girl who moves back to Drenthe to save her deceased grandmother’s tea house. “I wrote a script for fun, because I watched those kinds of films so often,” says Noortje.
Noortje based the storyline on her own experiences. “I haven’t lived in Drenthe for a while, so every time I’m here, even though I grew up here, I feel different.” When she is in Amsterdam, she feels as if she is in Drenthe again. “I’m kind of falling through the cracks.”
Noortje plays the leading role as a clumsy city girl. A big difference from how she is usually in the spotlight. “I’m actually a punk musician. That has nothing to do with this and I just like that it’s something different from what I normally do.”
In addition to this film, Noortje also makes a matching recipe book with Drenthe dishes from the film. She also composes the film music herself. “With these three things I create a kind of universe of my own.”
When making the film, the 28-year-old maker received a lot of help from family and friends, including proud father Johan Knol. “It’s fantastic. You see her growing as a person now that she is moving in the creative direction,” says Johan.
She has also been selected for Poplab of the Drenthe Art and Culture Foundation. This is a production house that offers (financial) support to makers in or from Drenthe.
The film will be released on April 24 during the Next festival at Podium Zuidhaege in Assen. At this festival you can also see the productions of other makers chosen by Poplab. Noortje Knol is not short on ambition. Her goal is to appear on Videoland with this film.
