Ilse Siebens

In her film 1000 Girls, A Place We Go, Sietske Van Aerde leads viewers through a series of playful transformations. Inspired by the nymphs of Ovid’s Metamorphoses, who are constantly shifting shape due to the cruelties inflicted upon them by the gods, the film follows several individuals searching for ways to exist in a world that can often feel heavy. Van Aerde films her own surroundings, capturing friends, artists, and other passers-by as they speak about themselves. We witness a variety of internal portraits unfolding.

A sick child spends its numbered days confined to bed, waiting for Death to come. Silence slowly fills its room. The curtains veil the nights in blue. As Death moves closer, a series of strangely familiar visitors pass by. We are taken on a fantastical journey through a child’s dying dreams. A fairy tale unfolds.