Marianne Vaatstra was sixteen when she disappeared in 1999. Her body was later found in a meadow between her village and an AZC. It took thirteen years before the perpetrator, Jasper S., was found.
This shocking story is the basis of the new series. It is the first Dutch Original from the streaming service CANAL+, produced by Pupkin. Producer Pieter Kuipers, screenwriter Willem Bosch and director Michiel van Erp join forces for this project.
There will be six episodes, each highlighting the story from a different main character. One of Us also revolves around the years-long search for the perpetrator of the rape and murder of a sixteen-year-old girl. This situation puts the village, the media and the entire country on edge. According to CANAL+, the series is “of high quality, in terms of direction, storyline and cast”. It is still unknown who will play the leading roles.
It is not yet known exactly when the series will be shown, but it is rumored that this could be as early as this fall.
“CANAL+ is known worldwide for the many European productions that are made. A series such as Een van Ons is important to underline our relevance to the Dutch public,” says Alco de Jong, Country Manager CANAL+ Netherlands. “I think it is strong that our very first Dutch production is about a story that is familiar to a large part of our target group. This production meets the wishes that we have as a streaming service and organization: it is of high quality in terms of direction, storyline and cast.”
Creative Producer Pieter Kuijpers says: “Willem Bosch and I had the idea to make this series for over ten years. I am proud that we succeeded and that it will be shown this fall as the very first Dutch CANAL+ Original. Willem wrote a compelling series about how a gruesome crime tears apart a small village. That is why I am pleased that Michiel van Erp has directed the series. He is the chronicler of the Netherlands. And although the series is inspired by a 25-year-old crime, it is still eerily current.”
Director Michiel van Erp adds: “For me, the greatest appeal of the series is that the murder that was committed, and the mystery that surrounded it, was a catalyst for everything that a person does not actually want for the residents of the fictional village of Griesbeek. show: suspicion, distrust, opportunism, betrayal. The events of that time are very similar to the state of our country today: where xenophobia, conspiracy thinking and wanting to play one's own right are the order of the day. As a director, the series also brought me back to characters that I have so often portrayed in my documentary work: beautiful people, who live far away from the dominant Randstad, full of dreams and ideals and sometimes wonderful passions and fascinations.”
The new Dutch series will become part of CANAL+'s impressive library. You will also find titles from Dutch FilmWorks, STUDIOCANAL, Lionsgate, Lumière and even Viaplay on the streaming service. You can go there for films such as The Whale, Moonfall and The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent and series such as Der Schwarm, Furia and Billy the Kid.
