story
Lampie, the daughter of a lighthouse keeper, must light a lamp every night to warn ships away from the rocks. But one stormy night, disaster strikes. The lamp goes out and the ship wrecks. As punishment, Lampie is sent to work in the Admiral's Black House, where a monster is said to lurk. There, she befriends Edward, the Admiral's son with a fish tail. When the Admiral threatens to sell Edward to a carnival organizer and hang Lampie's father, Lampie is faced with an impossible choice: will she save her father or her best friend?
The film is based on the fairy tale adventure by Annet Schaap, which has sold over 120.000 copies in the Netherlands.
about the author
Born in 1977, based in Amsterdam. She graduated from the Netherlands Film Academy. Her work focuses on the themes of growing up and getting wiser. After graduation, she worked on several shorts and single plays for the Dutch Television. Her feature film Jippie No More! won the Youth Jury Award and Best Dutch Children's Film at Cinekid.
filmography (selection)
2007 Zucht (Breath/Dih) (short)
2011 Bon Voyage
2023 Jippie No More!
2022–2023 Lampje (Lampie) (TV series)
2024 Lampje – de film (Lampie)
“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 with adult drama). Because if something is fake or doesn't make sense, children will see right through you. Moreover, they're paying extra close attention, so you have to be very precise.” - Margien Rogaar