On 2 December 1975, a journalist is one of many passengers on the slow train that is kidnapped near Wijster by young South Moluccans. After some terrifying moments, he makes contact with the hijackers and starts acting as their go-between. Meanwhile, his wife and daughter, as well as his mistress keep themselves abreast of things through the media. The train hijacking lasts for twelve days and claims a few lives.

2004 film by Paula van der Oest

A widowed Latvian father's quest for a much-loved Dutch pen pal, whom he hasn't heard from in three decades, provides the basis of this comedy-drama. The father is accompanied by his traumatized and mute eight-year-old son whom he had to kidnap from a Riga hospital. Together, the two flee towards Holland where the father Yuris hopes to find his long-lost friend Marie, whom he remembers as a great beauty. During the long journey, father and son have several funny adventures, many of which occur because neither father nor son speak much Dutch. They finally arrive at Marie's door empty-handed. What they find, gives them little hope, for the lithe young idealist of Yuris' dreams has become middle-aged and cynical.

1998 film by Paula van der Oest

Seventy-year-old Agnes takes the ashes of her dear Robert and travels to their regular holiday cottage on the Scottish island of Mull. On the way, two Dutch runaways, the ten-year-old girl Chris and her younger brother Tommie, sneak into her car. The children warn Agnes they will flee again if she calls the police. In the secluded house, beautifully located near a bay with a view of the sea, the elderly woman and the children gradually grow towards each other. Chris is confident and short-tempered, and dominates not only her younger, pigheaded brother, but also old Agnes, who loses herself in memories of Robert. Meanwhile, Agnes has to withstand the people who want to take over the house from her. The surroundings play a major role in this adaptation of Renate Dorrestein's novel about family, trust and secrets.

2008 film by Paula van der Oest

A group of middle-aged former bandmates reunite to scatter the ashes of their deceased lead singer, only to have their bond put to the test by the unexpected presence of one of the friends' twenty-something girlfriend.

If global economy came to a sudden stop what would be the effect on families worldwide? People in different countries or continents might not seem to be interrelated but there is more than meets the eye and we might be more connected than we sometimes like to think.

Claire lives with her wealthy adopted parents in a luxurious and isolated house in the woods. She discovers a wounded and bleeding boy her age in her family's garden shed. The boy is a young drug courier from Afghanistan; shot and wounded after serving his purpose as human packing material. Claire decides to keep the boy a secret. He slowly recovers under her care; and they fall in love. When the drug dealers return and Claire's family is due to move back to the city; they decide to flee; though Claire finds it difficult to outrun her past as an abandoned child.