Rating: IMDb: 6.4/10 | Rotten Tomatoes: 83%
Main Cast: Hannah Hoekstra, Hans Dagelet, Rifka Lodeizen, Mark Rietman
Director: Sacha Polak

Plot Summary:

Hemel (2012) is a bold and introspective Dutch drama that explores female sexuality, emotional detachment, and the search for meaning in fleeting relationships. Directed by Sacha Polak, the film is a striking character study of Hemel (Hannah Hoekstra), a young woman who seeks validation through a series of one-night stands but struggles with deeper emotional connections.

Hemel, whose name ironically translates to “heaven” in Dutch, engages in casual sexual encounters with an almost clinical detachment, using intimacy as a way to exert control rather than as a source of comfort. Her closest emotional bond is with her father, Gijs (Hans Dagelet), a cultured and charismatic man who has raised her alone. Their relationship is deeply affectionate, bordering on unhealthy, as Hemel often struggles to separate her need for love from her sexual experiences.

When Gijs falls in love and decides to settle down, Hemel is confronted with the emptiness of her own existence. As she watches the man she considers her emotional anchor drift away, she is forced to question her own identity and whether true connection is something she is capable of.