Lampie

Lampie / Lampje – de film (10+) 

Margien Rogaar, The Netherlands, 2024, 94′, in Dutch with Slovene subtitles 

Lampie, the daughter of a lighthouse keeper, must light a lamp every night to warn ships away from the rocks. But one stormy night, an accident occurs, and Lampie is sent as punishment to the admiral’s Black House. There she meets Edward, a boy with a fish tail. Lampie must decide whether to save her new friend or return to her father. A fantastic tale, adapted from a best-selling book.  

Story
This story is set in a time when treacherous pirates still sailed the high seas, and travelling circuses showcased people with extraordinary appearances. 

Nine-year-old Lampie lives with her father, a lighthouse keeper. Every night she climbs to the top of the lighthouse and lights the lamp that guides ships along a safe path. But one stormy night, disaster strikes – she runs out of matches and can’t light the lamp. A ship crashes onto the rocks, and as punishment Lampie is sent to work at the Black House, where a monster is said to haunt the halls. Only a handful of servants live in the great, crumbling mansion. Lampie starts taking care of a creature locked away in the tower, who at first seems like a monster. Though not the kind she imagined. His name is Edward, and instead of legs he has a fishtail. Angry at the world, he longs for the love of his strict father, the Admiral. Ashamed of his deformed son, the Admiral demands that Edward learn to walk. Clever Edward can do almost anything except walk. Lampie befriends Edward and secretly takes him to the sea, where, together, they discover that somewhere out there he has a family of mermaids. When the Admiral returns from a long voyage and finds his son behaving like a fish, he blames Lampie and takes drastic measures. He orders Lampie’s father to be hanged from the highest yardarm. Lampie is faced with an impossible choice: will she save her father or her best friend? 

The film is based on the bestselling novel of the same name by internationally acclaimed children‘s author Annet Schaap. The book was published in Slovenian translation by Sanje Publishing. 

First-hand 

»When you make films for children, it’s always important to tell a story through their eyes. You have to make not only their world tangible, but also the characters’ thoughts, however inimitable and unique they sometimes are. As a filmmaker, you have to explore that fully (just like in adult drama). Because if something is fake or doesn’t make sense, children will see right through you. Moreover, they pay extra close attention, so you have to be very precise.« — Margien Rogaar 

About the Creator
Margien Rogaar is a Dutch film director based in Amsterdam, working in both feature films and television drama. Her work often explores themes of growing up and childhood, with children frequently at the center of her stories. Her films have been shown internationally, including her short Breath at the Cannes Film Festival. Her children’s series Remi, Nobody’s Boy was nominated for an Emmy Award in 2018. 

Film and sea walk 
After the screening, join curators from the local Maritime Museum to learn many more interesting facts about the sea.  

Admission is free for the walk. 

The screening is part of the project ‘The Film Corner’ with the support of Creative Europe MEDIA. The views and opinions expressed are, however, those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.