Blog: Kasper Mols
Commuting daily by bike from Graauw to the studio in Clinge as a filmmaker? A few years ago, I wouldn’t have believed it myself, but today it really is my life.
Commuting daily by bike from Graauw to the studio in Clinge as a filmmaker? A few years ago, I wouldn’t have believed it myself, but today it really is my life. I’m not a born Zeeuw, just barely. I must have been about five years old when my parents ended up in Hulst because of a new job in Belgium. We were the only part of the family living in Zeeland, so the focus was always more on central Netherlands and Antwerp. Despite my parents’ efforts, I quickly picked up a few words of the local dialect here and there at home. But becoming a true Zeeuw doesn’t happen just like that.
My studies took me to Breda, but my volunteer work in Hulst kept drawing me back to Zeeuws-Vlaanderen every weekend. I was also very active in Zeeland’s music scene. On the one hand as a musician; I played on Zeeland’s stages with various bands. On the other hand as a budding filmmaker; filming musicians. That’s how I got to know the rest of Zeeland. Through this same music scene, I met my filmmaking partner Rutger-Jan Cleiren. Since then, we’ve played in the same band, HunterStreet, made up of some Belgians and a small number of Dutch. Not long after, a steady film collaboration also developed.
BRUUT collective is the name of our art collective, founded in 2014. When I joined not long after, we also started making commercial films. I was still in school in Breda at the time, and soon the films took precedence over my studies. We make films in our own way, and that started to get noticed. In addition to our own productions, we were getting more and more interest from businesses in Antwerp. Rutger-Jan and I took the step to Belgium and moved the BRUUT collective office to the city. Since we both grew up in East Zeeuws-Vlaanderen, Antwerp already felt a bit like coming home.
A few years later, we were still working from Antwerp, and I had gained an Antwerp flame. Our plans and ambitions were big. In addition to the art collective, we started our content marketing company GROM in 2020. Besides making awesome films in the culinary and tourism sectors, for example, we also work on unique corporate films and eye-catching recruitment campaigns. Our approach was also gaining more and more traction in Zeeuws-Vlaanderen. Flash forward: our team expanded, and we had an office and studio in Clinge.
It’s in Zeeuws-Vlaanderen that we see opportunities to expand. The space, the peace, and of course the people. Although we don’t see a lot of film activity in the region yet, the potential is definitely there. Close to the Belgian film market and more than enough creativity. The idea arose to build a film studio, in our own way. A creative meeting place for makers of film, music, and other arts. The old textile factory in Clinge became the center of what we’re currently building as our ‘film resort’. The name Bruutsterdam is a subtle middle finger to everyone who ever told us you have to move to Amsterdam to make films.
We’re going for a total experience. Not just a studio, but also various film-specific workspaces and a real cinema hall are part of our plan to turn Zeeuws-Vlaanderen into a true film region. Quite a challenge, but one we’re happy to take on. And then I can bike to the studio.
