Paul en Paul

Director: Hugo Drechsler
Producenrs: Joey Jansen, Thijmen Knook

Netherlands 2023
28’44”

Paul (79) and Paultje (61) are two brothers from Amsterdam-Noord, each leading life in their own peculiar way. Paul, diagnosed with testicular cancer, spends his days in a working-class home in Amsterdam-Noord, making a little money by stealing bicycles, only to squander it every Sunday at the local card club. Paultje lived with Paul for many years but would leave time and again whenever tensions between them got out of hand. Now, after serving a prison sentence, Paultje returns to his brother’s home, having just learned that he too is seriously ill. As the film unfolds, their dark family history gradually comes to light, revealing the scars it has left on both men and their fragile bond. This shared suffering calls for mutual support, yet both Paul and Paultje struggle with their own limitations. Now reunited under one roof, will the brothers truly be able to grow closer, before time runs out for them both?

Hugo Drechsler

Born in Haarlem, 1998, has developed into a documentary filmmaker with a mission to highlight societal issues in a tragicomic way. He has a passion for portraying the unconventional and emphasizes relatable themes, with people at the heart of their everyday environments. He enjoys telling small stories that address broader societal issues. His documentary Stoepfeestje (2021) received widespread acclaim at various film festivals, including the Netherlands Film Festival, the Sarajevo Film Festival, and Close:Up Edinburgh Docufest. With his documentary De Laatste Parochianen (2022), Hugo was selected as a Maker van Morgen by 2DOC. Hugo’s graduation documentary Paul en Paul (2023), a film about two eccentric elderly brothers from Amsterdam-Noord, garnered rave reviews. The film won the KNF Award and the VPRO Prize, and was nominated in five categories at the Netherlands Film Festival. Last year, the film was extended and will premiere later this year on NPO 3 in collaboration with BNNVARA. After graduating from the Netherlands Film Academy, Hugo gradually co-founded the production company Mooie Nel, together with Joey Jansen, Thijmen Knook, and Floor de Wolf. In addition to the feature-length documentary Paul en Paultje, the company currently has three films/series in production and several projects in development. Mooie Nel also focuses on fiction.