“The movie Spetters (1980) by Paul Verhoeven makes me think of my time as a kid. Not because it’s similar to my life, because it’s about three young Dutch amateur dirt bike motorcycle racers who fall in love with a beautiful young woman, but solely because it reminds me of the Westland. It’s a region in the Netherlands that lies in the western part of the province South-Holland and it’s well known for its horticulture and glasshouses. Anyway, I grew up in that region from my 3rd till my 11th and Spetters shows some beautiful nostalgic images of that region. Then again, a lot of Dutch movies portray the Randstad area, which is a sort of megalopolis area in the Netherlands. I wasn’t a young adult like the characters in that movie and I wasn’t busy with dirt bikes. I just find it so recognisable though.” – Martin Koolhoven.
Photo and story by Feargal Agard.
