With an Introduction by Prof. Dr. Henk van der Liet
Film and Philosophy is back! In collaboration with Filmtheater De Uitkijk, Wijsgerig Festival DRIFT presents a series of four film nights. Every Monday evening, a film will be screened that aligns with the theme "Muse, tell me." These words, which open The Odyssey, symbolize how stories mediate our experience. The Odyssey marks the beginning of a long storytelling tradition in which narratives are continuously retold, rewritten, and reinterpreted. We will explore how stories shape our perception of ourselves, the world, and society. Each of the four films tells a story of its own, and four different guest speakers will introduce the films, connecting them to the overarching theme.
On April 21, we will screen Malá Mořská Víla (1976), a Czechoslovak adaptation of The Little Mermaid!
This centuries-old fairy tale has a long storytelling tradition, with Karel Kachyňa’s 1976 adaptation being an essential part of it. This psychedelic retelling reimagines the story while staying true to the dark, tragic essence of Hans Christian Andersen’s original tale. With a visual style inspired by surrealism and the Czech New Wave, along with a memorable score, this overlooked adaptation offers a poetic and haunting perspective on a timeless story.
The film will be introduced by Prof. Dr. Henk van der Liet (Scandinavian Language and Literature, UvA and SDU), who will explore the journey of The Little Mermaid. Van der Liet will discuss Andersen’s story, which first appeared in 1837 in the collection Eventyr, fortalte for Børn (Fairy Tales, Told for Children). However, The Little Mermaid was not an immediate success and only gained worldwide recognition in 1913 with the creation of the now-iconic Little Mermaid statue in Copenhagen’s harbor. Following World War II, the statue became a global tourist attraction, largely driven by popular culture and the rise of mass tourism.
To keep Andersen’s literary fairy tales relevant and accessible to new generations, they have been continuously translated, adapted, and reinterpreted over the years, often reflecting evolving cultural, political, and societal perspectives. Van der Liet will explore these shifting portrayals of the fairy tale and how they have come to shape our understanding of The Little Mermaid today.