Het Verlangen

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1

Everyone's life is a story

in its own right.

One story is thrilling,

the other one boring.

It just depends on what you make of it.

Everyone has a novel character in them.

A dreamer, a loser,

a traitor or a hero.

But the question is:

who wants to write it down?

And who wants to read it?

Those stories full of dreams,

fears and longing.

THE LONGING:

In any case,

this story is about Marc.

With his brother, he's a publisher.

Of books.

Good books.

Is my brother here yet?

No, not yet

- Of course not.

It's very bad here.

- Same as last time.

Nothing wrong then either.

I'll have a look.

Hello. Brigitte Hooijmakers.

- Marc Goudemondt.

Mrs. Hooijmakers, something went wrong...

- I always fight with my spell checker...

This appointment slipped through.

- ...so I probably made some mistakes.

And my grammar isn't...

I keep interrupting you, right?

I've read your...

..."book". Well, for the most part.

HURRYING ON HEELS

Is it true that your main character

isn't a person, but consists of...

Jimmy Choos.

Those are shoes?

- Yes.

That's what it's about.

Shoes can say everything about someone.

Shoes can be someone.

Honestly.

So what do you think?

Is it your kind of book?

Hi.

Gee, looks awesome.

- Yeah, it was dead.

This model is just a bit tight.

How's that possible?

Our best sold title

of the past two years:

2314 copies. Two print runs.

Half of the Netherlands

is writing a novel these days.

Aren't you buried in manuscripts?

Sure.

Just last week I met an unknown writer

with a masterpiece.

But it isn't about that any more

these days.

I can publish the most wonderful books,

but if I can't get my author on TV...

...I may as well recycle them right away.

- What's the problem with that writer?

Anything...

...in the mail for me...

...today?

What's your name?

- Schutte.

Yep, here you go.

REJECTIONS:

Two thousand novels fit on here.

Probably twenty thousand

by the end of the month.

Dinner's ready.

I remember the days when quadraphonics

were all the rage.

Quadraphonics.

As if we have four ears.

A while back, 3D TV was a must-have.

That flopped as well.

A book is something you want to hold.

You have to smell and feel it.

Wonderful that soup of yours, mom.

Write down those recipes.

Guaranteed to be a bestseller.

Cookbooks sell like hotcakes, dad.

Let me just say that I'm happy

that you keep the business afloat...

...without cook and travel books...

...and without too much

of that e-reader stuff.

Very happy-

But it isn't easy for us...

A good publishing house

always has a right to exist. Always.

Fortunately, my sons have the real

publishing genes.

One of the prettiest women

I've ever seen and ambitious as hell.

And? Follow-up appointment?

Just for the sex?

A bimbo with a trashy book.

Not a sentence without a mistake.

Jesus, man, who cares.

You're straight, aren't you?

Or are you afraid she'll spell 'sex'

with 'ks'?

Bo, again you didn't say

anything tonight.

I can't remember hearing you say anything.

You're better at that sort of thing

than I am.

Suppose we really go bankrupt...

Then we can arrange dad's funeral.

What if we turn Brigitte

into a real writer?

Have you lost your mind?

- Haven't been here for a while.

Did they catch those burglars?

- Funny.

She took everything, except for my books

the microwave and three lamps..

Shouldn't you get new furniture?

- What with?

I'm still owed six months in wages.

I'm not going to participate in this.

- Listen...

That guy looks like a troglodyte.

Two sentences take him 30 minutes.

But that book is f***ing brilliant.

- But I...

He hates publicity.

Terrified of people,

wants to write books in anonymity.

But no one wants to publish them.

One of the prettiest women

you've ever seen, you said.

And ambitious as hell.

- And a bimbo, I said.

What's wrong with shoes, anyway?

No way.

You'll probably think: First you said

you weren't interested in our work...

...and now you ask to meet us.

'I D I

...don't...

...understand it.

A train ticket costs me every time...

The point is:
I've got an idea.

My brother's likes it too.

It's a rather...

How shall I put it?

It's a...

It's a rather unorthodox plan.

'Unorthodox' wasn't a word

Brigitte would use.

Herman would.

But laws stand in the way of 'using'

and 'doing' And practical obstacles.

They weren't sure, though.

An opportunity like this

to finally get a book published...

...they might never get again.

What if one of them pulls out?

- Why? They get exactly what they want.

Have you read the classics lately?

Things like this always end in disaster.

Oh, Jesus.

This has been your plan all along?

- Of course.

The sooner one of them regrets it,

the better.

Bingo. The media will be outraged

and we open the champagne.

And dad?

Know what? You call to tell him

we're pulling the plug.

Boudewijn Goudemondt.

Marc Goudemondt.

That's good to hear.

Looking forward to it?

Why so sexy? It's about a book.

- It's her idea. She tells me to do it.

Sorry, but this makes no sense.

This is no good.

Why not?

- Because it isn't a children's book.

This is weird.

- Yes, this is it.

I look like a parrot.

- This is exactly...

I don't want this.

- Why not?

It's what my mother would wear.

- It's good.

I like this. The shoes are good too.

THE LONGING:

New Prams?

But, Bri, what...

"Because the daily grind sometimes

hit her in the face like a wet rag...

...Leonie tried

with a lot of masturbation..."

Bri, what is this?

Since when have you

been writing books?

838 pages.

I've been writing since forever.

Diaries, stories.

I've told you, didn't I?

- No.

"Leonie was a soldier without weapons.

A Dear Abby without answers.

How to tight the erosion

that tormented her soul...

...she didn't know."

It's kind of, like, about myself.

Not literally, but still.

You have nothing to complain about.

- How so?

Men being interested.

- Right, but always the wrong kind.

Whispers in the street,

hands on my ass in the subway...

...listening to bullshit just for a date.

I want something different.

- Good evening, ladies.

This is Harry. I'm Jan.

We felt like having a drink.

We thought maybe you want one too.

Hey, Dennis, give these ladies a drink.

It's on me.

So this buddy of mine knows someone

who's into apps.

We were talking about investing in that.

What do you do?

- I wrote a book.

It will be published soon.

- A book? A diet thing, I guess.

No, it's, like, literature-ish.

- Oh, chick lit.

With a lot of sex

and a ball-busting plot twist.

Know what? I'm going home.

Mariska, are you coming?

Hold on, I want to talk about literature.

And you have to points

I'd like to discuss.

B...

Bri, what are you doing?

He was an OK guy.

Yeah, very OK.

As OK as a horse dick.

For once I'd like to have

a normal discussion with a guy.

Who looks at me instead of my b*obs.

- You've got those publishers tor that.

They're interested

in a different side oi you.

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