Background
In the documentary LATER, Annick Sickinghe and Sam van Zoest portray the physical and mental recovery process followed by childhood cancer. Annick speaks with seven people who experienced cancer as a child. The central question in LATER is: how does childhood cancer affect your later life? And how do former patients look back on their time of illness after 10, 20, 30, 40 or 50 years? The intimate and personal interviews are interspersed with animations and poetic images that make the emotion of the story tangible.
From the moment you are declared ‘clean’ and no longer have cancer in your body, your illness comes to an end. However, the period of recovery and processing is undefined and endless. It is unknown how such an event affects your life and how this changes over time; this is different for everyone. Annick herself got lymphoma at the age of 14. Now, eight years later, she notices that not only her amazement about the world, but also her sense of responsibility is influenced by this event. There is little knowledge nor conversation about this undefined period of recovery among former patients as well as society.
Annick says: ‘I noticed that my period of illness subconsciously affects everything I do and make, especially my art. It still influences me in my daily life, physically and mentally, consciously and subconsciously, positively and negatively. I wondered if I can ever really process this and how this is for other people.’
Written & Directed by: Annick Sickinghe & Sam van Zoest
Interviewees: Cherine Mathot, Ariane Sickinghe, Priscilla van Dijke, Bas van der Voort, Saskia Ouwehand, Corinne Kuijpers, Remco Oomens
Camera & Editing: Sam van Zoest
Music: Annick Sickinghe
Music Recording & Mixing: Lourens van der Zwaag
Sound Design: Poul Sven de Haan
Grading: Serhan Meewisse
Clock and Head Animations: Annick Sickinghe
Charcoal Animations: Thomas Maas
Light Castle: Sam van Zoest
Violin: Eva Scheltema
Sound Design Animations: Thom Verbree
Distribution: Amstelfilm
Release in cooperation with Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology and VOX
