‘Reedland’ is a Quiet Exploration of Life
Gerrit Knobbe in Reedland | Credit: Cinéart
When a body is found in the field he’s working in, Johan (Gerrit Knobbe) begins to look at his life and community with new eyes.
Reedland is a beautiful and quiet exploration of the mundane parts of life. We watch Johan as he expertly does his job—something he has decades of experience in. We are along for the ride as he does life in this small community, cares for his granddaughter, and just tries to make ends meet. We feel Johan’s loneliness as he lives his quiet life with all of its highs and lows.
Sam du Pon’s cinematography is a highlight of this film. It’s stunning! Throughout the film, there are many shots that are beautiful, but also feel a little ominous—you don’t know what’s going to happen next, but you’re not sure if it will be good for this character and his community. Like early on in the film when smoke fills the frame but you can still see the sun poking through, it’s a breathtaking visual that seems to be a harbinger of something more coming.
The camera is often very still, allowing people to pass in and out of the frame. This adds to the feeling that we are right there with Johan and his neighbors as they’re going about their lives. There’s a realness and rawness to this film that the cinematography beautifully complements.
Gerrit Knobbe and Loïs Reinders in Reedland | Credit: Cinéart
A central theme of Reedland is modernization and adapting to the times. Johan’s way of life is going away. The skill that he has developed over decades is no longer valued in the way it once was. He is earning less money per harvest, making it even more difficult to make ends meet.
We first meet this character as he is quietly working in the field. He has no music blaring or headphones in to keep him entertained; he is methodically doing what he has done for years. This is not special to him, but for a person who has never done this work, it’s an impressive feat to behold.
Then, as the film progresses, we see more and more technology in his life. He searches for Caterpillars online, even though he knows it will produce an inferior product. We see tractors and other machinery that his neighbors use, and the motorcycles that people drive through the fields.
As the film progresses and we learn more about Johan’s life and community, there’s a pull back to the reeds that we experienced at the beginning—before the body was found, before things got to be so out of control. Just as Johan can’t go back to that simpler way of life, neither can we. Johan is changed by the end of the film, and so are we. Our only solution is to continue moving forward, still finding beauty and peace where we can, even though we have changed in the process.
Reedland movie poster | Credit: Cinéart
Reedland is a quiet and largely meditative film. It’s an invitation to reflection and a look at a way of life that many of us simply don’t experience. Throughout, we explore the beauty and difficulties of community and what it looks like for your way of life to be threatened.
There is a lot of depth in this film, along with beautiful cinematography. It’s one that will leave you with much to think about after the credits roll.
If you’re a fan of Reedland, consider also checking out Evil Does Not Exist.