Sonny Boy

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This film is based on true events.

Surinam 1921

Okay boys, let it go.

- Not yet.

Do you want to cross the entire ocean?

- Fine with me.

What would you do in Holland?

- Study.

That 'll be the day.

Now let go, you little monkeys.

Stop now or l' ll sink your boat.

Let's row.

l' ll swim.

That's too far.

- So what?

Waldemar, come back!

Are you crazy?

He's crazy.

Dad!

Waldemar!

- Where are you going?

-Why?

Can't make a living here.

- What about us?

You'll manage.

You're my son.

Where's mom?

-Inside.

Daddy is gone.

You swam in the river again!

Many kids have drowned there.

l' ll never drown, mamma.

The water is my friend.

My ocean swimmer.

Seven years later.

I will miss you all .

-l' ll miss you too.

Waldemar, this is mother's dearest wish.

Yes, but five years is a long time.

Don't secretly marry my sister.

- She has to say yes first.

l' ll be back for the wedding.

You can come back

after graduating.

I won't let you down.

If you screw up,

we'll canceI your allowance.

Don't open it before

you get on board.

Don't forget us!

And say hello to our cousin.

Goedereede, Holland.

Mom! It 's finished.

Why does daddy go to church

twice?

He wants to be

close to God twice as often.

''My God...''

It 's a disgrace, on the day

of our dear Lord.

Our councilman isn't blessed

with such a wife.

Why don't they wave back?

They're not allowed.

- Says who?

Says God.

- Are you allowed?

I can do anything I want.

Why are you so quiet?

We're not quiet at all .

It 's so quiet

I can hear my own thoughts.

Do you want me

to read from the bible ?

l' d rather not.

The meat is getting cold .

I know a passage about a wife

who has to obey her husband.

Do you want me to shut up?

- Yes!

Now it's quiet again.

We're not quiet at all .

It's a riot here. Isn't it, Willem?

One big riot.

Or shall I talk to the water jug?

Hey, jug, did you lose your tongue?

I didn't lose my tongue.

I swallowed daddy's.

That way I can talk even more.

Mamma is funny.

- Daddy doesn't think so.

Can't you ever be normal

Look who's talking.

''My God, how I love you!

Tonight in the shed...''

The Hague

You have to go back.

I can't. The love is gone.

- That happens in every marriage.

What if every woman ran away?

-l' m not 'every woman'.

We warned you for Willem.

- Yes you did.

He abducted you from that monastery!

Those nuns still pray for you.

Keeps them off the street.

-lmpertinent as ever.

Mom, please, I need a home.

You can't stay here.

And we can't lend you any money.

Why don't you say something?

Why should l

You do most of the talking.

No, Rika does.

She's just like you.

Mom, it's only temporary.

We warned her enough.

She has to take care of herseIf now.

Rika, wait!

What will you do now?

- Find a home for me and my children.

David Millar.

-Waldemar Nods.

When I arrived, all I had was a stuffed

crocodile and a bow and arrow.

Quite a sight, wasn't it?

-In Holland you're always quite a sight.

Do you know who I am?

Yes, you're my cousin.

That's what they say.

Actually, l' m your haIf -brother.

My haIf -brother?

-A bastard son of your father.

So having all his mistresses

pays off.

Why did you come here?

To fuIfill my dream of a better future.

So you're a dreamer.

But you'll find out.

-Find out what?

How it is over here.

-Is it that bad?

Nothing but poverty for people like us.

You're late.

-The traffic was busy.

The children have gone to bed.

Show your cousin the guest room.

l'll heat up your dinners.

What will you study?

-Business administration.

Not aircraft construction?

- Not everybody is flying high, Christine.

Is that what you do?

l' m financiaI director at

RoyaI Dutch Airlines.

Your Surinam certificates

won't be sufficient here.

You can't apply for our University.

You have to take the entrance course.

The entrance course?

Eighty percent of your kind faiIs .

The question he often raised

was whether a mathematicaI axiom...

... could be applied to

philosophicaI matters.

Black Peter, Black Peter!

-Shut up! That's not a reaI one.

Where can he go?

He has nobody eIse.

You said he'd be gone soon!

Send him away!

-I can't. He's my cousin.

Cousin, brother... it doesn't matter.

I want him out of here.

How lovely , Bertha!

It's so great you're all here.

Do we have to live here?

I want to go home.

So the women are working

while the men are playing?

How dare you ruin that ball ?

Everything in my garden is my property.

Have you gone mad?

Remove that immediately !

Everything in your garden

is your property, isn't it?

What are you looking at?

l' m looking for this address.

They have a room for rent.

That's me.

But we're busy moving in.

l' m sorry. Maybe I can come back

some other time.

Or is the room no longer available ?

No.

You can say yes.

Why would I say yes

if it's not yet rented?

It 's bed and board. And I aIso

do the cleaning and the laundry.

Come here, kids.

Would you mind if Mr. Nods

became our boarder?

What's a boarder?

-You'll find out.

My name is Waldemar.

Nice to meet you.

Do you wash yourseIf ?

- Better than you.

Is daddy living all alone now?

He's got his job and Jans takes care

of him. He can't be very lonely .

This is your new school

With the priests.

Not you, you're going

to the girIs ' school

Let me guess...

With nuns?

Bye.

Come in.

Here's your supper.

-Thank you.

Do you like your room?

-It 's very nice.

Children not too noisy?

-Not at all .

Food alright?

- Couldn't be better.

We hardly see you.

What do you do during the day?

I study, or I go to the beach.

How about joining us

for dinner tomorrow?

I don't want to bother anybody.

In Surinam it doesn't rain

as often as here.

But when it rains,

it rains really hard.

We call it sibibusi.

That's when the snakes come from

the soiI to swim in the puddles.

Do you know what we

always used to do?

Well ?

Don't you like potatoes?

-In Surinam we always eat rice.

Rice?

I heard you're living together

with a black one.

So what?

-It 's my house.

The rent gets paid, doesn't it?

- Everybody's talking about it.

I hadn't noticed.

-It happens behind your back.

I don't care about everything

that happens behind my back.

I don't want his kind here.

Mr. Nods is a decent man.

He goes to college.

And he happens to be my boarder.

I don't want this crap.

You could at least try.

I said I don't want this crap!

Wim, don't be so rude!

Wim, what's the matter?

I miss dad.

But you'll visit him

for Christmas.

He was so sad when we left him.

It 's all very sad.

It's a pity it has to be this way.

Yes.

I bought you something.

For me?

A Christmas present.

I thought... You love music so much.

It 's beautiful

Wouldn't you like to stay a while ?

The house is so quiet

without the children.

You should get out more.

You're always in the house.

I never know where to go.

Or who to visit.

I really missed this.

Me too.

Mrs. van de Lans.

I couldn't stand it in the house.

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