Camping (1978) User Reviews

The curse of visiting a camping site

[eabakkum · 7/10 · 17 February 2011]

Some years ago the complete works of the Werkteater company was released on DVD, in a box of four, by NPS and Theater Instituut. The titles are Avondrood, Toestanden, Hallo Medemens, Camping, Opname, Bosch en Lucht, Een zwoele zomeravond and U bent mijn moeder. They cover the period 1975-1983. Werktejater was a collective of artists, who on ideological grounds had no commercial or artistic leader. During the period 1970-1985 they held many performances, even in the USA, usually live on stage, often using sheer improvisation only. Their primary aim was to communicate with the audience, which was often the personnel of an institute or company. Werkteater did not operate on a commercial basis, but was subsidized by the government. The official policy was that art contributes to human development and thus to social and economic growth. Major customers of Werktejater were the psychiatric institutions and clinics, youth homes etc. However, the formula did not succeed in surviving the change of times, the new demand for business-like attitudes and efficiency, and in 1985 it was abandoned. Various members left the theater branch altogether. Apparently experiments like this can only last in a supportive society. Camping was a film production of Werktejater, which was not very successful in the cinemas. It includes the well known actors Peter Faber (also in Max Havelaar) and Shireen Strooker (also in Liefdesbekentenissen). For a weekend it follows the (acted) lives of the families on a camping site. Most of them are dysfunctional, or on the verge of madness. All the paranoia, that accompanies the usual family holiday, is blown up and caricatured. The people try very hard to relax and have a good time, with just the opposite effect. They visit their friendly neighbors, and end up getting drunk. They organize sporting events, which degenerate into quarrels. Visiting family members overstretch their welcome. Even the odd functional couple can not escape mutual nagging ("Do you have to go?" "We have already discussed this", "I am only asking", "Do you plan to be like this for the whole weekend?" etc. There are the typical stereotypes: the self-appointed leader, the soother, the stupid and obedient housewife (several, actually), the owner of the camping site in his motorized invalid vehicle, the children imitating their parents. The people feel socially obliged to go on holiday, but loathe the primitive living conditions on the camping site. I guess that the film aims to be a mirror to the viewer, and to point to possible traps. As such it has its merits. Perhaps it is even funny, but as said the Dutch public in the seventies did not think so and preferred heroism, romance, sex and violence. The interesting film Toestanden (Muddle) has also been included in IMDb.

Hilarious and almost nostalgic.

[Redlop · 10/10 · 5 July 2003]

The hilarious stereotypical events on a Dutch camping in the late '70. All the frustrations and anger kept inside for a whole year is thrown out at these strange sociological event. Very recognizable and almost nostalgic. Please vote high!