Hemelsleutel

In Hemelsleutel, director Digna Sinke follows the making of a potential film about Lea, a young photographer who captures the energy transition in Amsterdam's harbour area. What begins as a professional assignment unfolds into a personal exploration: Lea's observations of conflicting interests evoke memories from Sinke's own life, and their stories begin to merge. 

As the boundaries between creator and character blur, the film transforms from a fictional portrait into an intimate documentary about complex themes such as ageing, accepting loss and living with the choices you have made. With her characteristically sincere and thoughtful style, Sinke invites reflection and shows how personal experiences determine how we relate to the world and the people around us. 

A film that balances between fiction and documentary, Hemelsleutel premiered this year at the IFFR and was also screened at the Netherlands Film Festival, where director Digna Sinke received the Golden Calf for Film Culture in 2023. She will be honoured with a retrospective at the Viennale in Vienna this autumn. After the screening at the Northern Film Festival, Sinke will be present for a discussion with the audience, after which she will also give a Masterclass within the Talent & Industry programme for those who want to delve deeper.