Stella van Voorst van Beest’s documentary PRISONERS OF THE GROUND has been selected to close the 29th Netherlands Film Festival. The film will have its Dutch première on the final regular screening day of the festival, Thursday 1 October 2009, in Utrecht’s City Theatre.

How do you survive the dark, Finnish winter? In PRISONERS OF THE GROUND, we travel across Finland, calling at karaoke bars and dance halls to hear the melancholy life stories of a wide variety of people. While they find solace in the Finnish tango that sings of unfulfilled desires, the snow outside slowly starts to melt. When the sun finally breaks through, will they reach the happy land of their dreams?

Stella van Voorst van Beest comments: ‘I’m very honoured my film has been selected as the closing film. The close of the festival has both festive and wistful aspects. Just like a Finnish tango, really.’

Stella van Voorst van Beest (1963) graduated from the Netherlands Film and Television Academy in 1994, specialising in documentary directing/scenario and editing. She directed three short documentaries: THE UMBRELLA FACTORY (1999), BUILDINGBLOCKS (2000-2004) and PORK (2002) and is also active as an editor. PRISONERS OF THE GROUND is her first full-length documentary.

PRISONERS OF THE GROUND is a Volya Films production in association with Cassette for timescapes and supported by the Netherlands Film Fund, the Flanders Audiovisual Fund, the Rotterdam Media Fund, the Rotterdamse Kunststichting, the Thuiskopiefonds and Flanders Image.

The Netherlands Film Festival takes place from 23 September through 2 October 2009. For more information and ticket sales (from 9 September): www.filmfestival.nl.