Fatal

Jesse Bleekemolen is a writer, director and producer. When he was a little boy he was enthralled on his visits to the circus, theatre and cinema, where he tried to fathom how the great names created such wonderful spectacles. He discovered a passion for light, sound, film, television and music. At the tender age of 12 he worked as an apprentice at Eyeworks, and that is when he decided he wanted to stay in the world of film and television.

After his apprenticeship he worked on various television programmes and series. He also became a volunteer for the theatre productions of the Crown Theatre in Aalsmeer, where he discovered his social possibilities. Following these activities, and after making a short film on mindless violence, he decided to become an ambassador for the Stichting MOED (Courage Foundation). In order to place this problem in a broader perspective, he began work on the script for his first genuine film production: Fataal. This earned the following review in Dutch daily newspaper De Telegraaf: “The fledgling director (19!) got his project off the ground with minimal resources, and the truly fabulous cast (notably the talented Hamilton) cooperated free of charge.” The film was released internationally in 70 countries and is now also available via the Video on Demand channels of providers such as Ziggo and KPN. The success of the film has also led to a documentary planned for the summer of 2017, which focuses on the making of a musical version of Fataal. Jesse is writing, directing and producing both the documentary and the musical based on the film.

After his first film Fataal, Jesse started work on new productions, such as Fenix for KPN Video on Demand. He also acted as assistant director on a short film by Simone van Dusseldorp for Dutch public service channel NTR-Kort, and from May to October he worked as assistant director on the programme Dokter Deen for broadcasting service Omroep Max. He further intends to make a documentary about the nineteen-year-old snowboarder Chris Vos, who is preparing for the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang. Vos became Junior World Champion in 2013 and is an ambassador for the Johan Cruyff Foundation. Bleekemolen will follow his preparations for the Paralympic Games. The extensive experience acquired by Bleekemolen in his first major production is being put to good use in his new projects.