A Dutch filmmaker feels guilty about false hope he gave 31 years ago to a Palestinian family he filmed for his first film. After an unexpected voicemail he decides to go back to the West Bank, together with his son who also wants to make movies.

His old friends Adnan and Hisham are – like him – far in his fifties. Adnan has given up the fight and hope. Hisham is still an activist, although he does not believe in an good ending of the conflict anymore. While they relieve their old friendship, the filmmaker prepares for the rejoice with Umm Muhammed, Adnans mother. She had all her hopes invested in the film from 1987, but that movie was never broadcasted. The family lost all their land under Israeli occupation and suffer under infighting.

”When are you coming back, Kees?” is a multi-layerd, tragic comedic film about lost dreams and the creation of expectations one cannot meet. The film also touches on the subject of how sons follow the ways of their fathers and the responsibility that comes with that.

‘When are you coming back, Kees?’  has been broadcasted on March 25th 2020 on NPO2.

When are you coming back, Kees?’  won the Award of Merit from Impact Docs Awards and was selected for Movies that Matter 2020.

Directiors, camera, sound, editing: Kees en Mark Schaap

Production: Joanne Schaap-Becker

Audiomix: Hens Zimmerman

Colour correction: Chirs Blokhuis

Commisioning editor: Sjoerd van den Broek, Sander van den Eeden