The Heart of Democracy

2020 • 87m

In the parliament building where our democracy is being tested on a daily basis, the decay is shockingly visible behind the curtains. The renovation of Het Binnenhof, as it is known, hardly brooks any delay. But is the quality of our democracy also in urgent need of renovation? In Hart van de Democratie (The Heart of Democracy), Suzanne Raes (Ganz: How I Lost My Beetle, 0.03 seconds) and Liesbeth Witteman investigate the much-publicized gap between citizens and politics. The two journalistic protagonists, old hand Kees Boonman and new girl Charlotte Nijs, each move through the building and tackle current affairs in their own way. In a playful, compelling way, the filmmakers analyse the issues of the day during one year and lay bare the close relationship between press and politicians. The result is a film which, with a critical yet compassionate eye, captures the fight being fought on the most important square mile in the Netherlands.