THIS IS NOT WHO I AM

Filmmaker Joris Koptod Nioky moves in with his 71-year-old mother Rian to film her reflecting on motherhood. When he shows her a temporary edit, Rian is overcome by sadness and withdraws from collaboration. Her sadness quickly turns into anger that ends in a battle to have the movie banned.

JORIS KOPTOD NIOKY

Joris has been working as an artist in Amsterdam for over twenty years. In photography and painting, music and literature and now as a filmmaker. His first movie Portrait of a failed writer, won prize for best debute on the Dutch film festival 2020. His second movie This is not who I am, was part of the official selection of Dutch film festival 2021.

I believe the human mind, by default is in state of denial. It sanitizes itself while it tends to scrutinize others. It is painful to be confronted with our own shortcomings. It fuels the fear inside us. The fear of being rejected, excluded, shamed, condemned. We try to conceal our flaws, filter our memories, add new ones and create stories that make us feel good about ourselves. These story often alienate us from others and their experiences.

As in my first movie Portrait of a failed writer (2019, 95 min) I try to reflect on a bigger issue through the perspective of an individual. My aim as an artist is to marry the most personal with the most abstract.

The Dutch film festival 2021, the Netherlands

Doker 2022 — Dok Therapy