Broken

Esther and Bastiaan are two well known actors. Seen from outside their life is in order. They have a house, children and work. But Bastiaan has lived with depression for a long time. The illness comes in bouts and each one is heavier. On the good days everything looks as it used to. On the bad days the house turns into another place altogether. Esther tries not to leave him alone. She is also working to protect the children. And she keeps her own career going. Looking for help is not simple either. The film does not make the illness romantic. It tells as well what the person standing beside it goes through. The story comes from a book an actress wrote about her own life. It closes on a heavy loss. Noortje Herlaar and Egbert Jan Weeber appear in the hundred and eighteen minute film, a Dutch production Ben Verbong finished in 2023.