Medialism students dive into the world of tbs

In the minor Medialism, students make a documentary or short film in six months. Last semester, 50 students from 18 countries took on this mega job. Click Clack Productions delved into the Dutch tbs (custodial clinic) system with Jorge's story: Tbs, a second chance? Sander Bolhuis and Vera van Gerven talk about the making of.

Text: Loes Vader

Why did you choose such a heavy subject?
Sander: "On the first day of the minor, we were all asked to pitch an idea. Manon van der Veen came up with the idea of making a documentary about prison. Initially, we wanted to focus on resocialisation, the return to society. When we did research, we quickly came across tbs, the psychiatric treatment of convicted criminals. A measure that the court can impose to protect society if someone has committed a crime."

Vera: "That's when we met Jorge . We were looking for an expert by experience who wanted to talk about his life and tbs. Jorge was born in the slums of Colombia and was adopted by a Dutch family at the age of three. At the age of 24, he committed a serious crime for which he was sentenced to prison and tbs. In 2016 he started doing the Ad Expert by Experience in Care and Welfare at the Hanze. Jorge said 'yes' and after that it all went very fast."

You paint a different picture of tbs than we know from the media.
Sander: "When we delved into the figures, it quickly became clear that the tbs system does work. At least, for 99.8 percent of the people who are subject to the measure. We also had a different view ourselves before we started looking into the subject."

Vera: "We wanted to show it as it really is. Whether that would be negative or positive."

What have you learnt? And what was your role?
Sander: "I was mainly involved in the technology: camera work, setting up lighting and the more technical side of editing. I learnt a lot from that. On a technical level, but also in terms of collaboration. I hardly had any experience with filming, so it's quite a challenge to work well together."

Vera: "I mainly interviewed and I'm the voice-over. After that, I was busy editing the story. Especially Jorge's story. I misjudged how long you have to focus. It took three and a half hours to record the interview with Jorge in the studio. Then you have to stay in full focus. It's been educational because it's a very tough subject and you have to keep asking good questions."

Would you like to continue filming?
Sander: "Yes, 100 percent sure."

Vera: "Absolutely! It was a lot of fun and very educational!"

If you had to describe the minor in just one word?
Vera: "It's cliché, but I would say: just awesome or very cool."

Sander: "Unique! You have so much freedom and you are working full-time on something that you have chosen yourself. Which you can dive into. We didn't know each other before we started the minor. You are all thrown in at the deep end. We travelled halfway through the Netherlands by train. Eindhoven, Enschede, Amsterdam."

Vera: "The last month you are in a loft with the five of you from 9:00 in the morning to midnight and you have to keep having fun with each other in a space of five-by-two metres. And this was really the case. You learn a lot in a completely different way. What also needs to be said: the coaches are really good!"

Click Clack Productions
Click Clack Productions consists of five Hanze students: Sander Bolhuis (Communication), Vera van Gerven (Communication), Doreen Jelsema (Communication), Ralph Strating (Communication), Manon van der Veen (Communication and Multimedia Design).

Watch the documentary below.