A million steps for love
From 2014 to 2020 Esmeralda Heij, born and raised in The Netherlands, walked from Finisterre (Spain) to Jerusalem (Israel). She covered a distance of 5.000 kilometers spread over seven stages.
During the last 75 kilometers of her journey, straight through the Westbank of Palestine, she was accompanied by thirteen Dutch women, including a filmmaker.
A journey through the beautiful and barren landscape of Palestine. A story about courage, love and sisterhood. A story about the power of togetherness and the pain of separation.
A testament to women who have the courage to listen to their inner voice and stand tall amidst the challenges that life throws at them.
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Sandra KorseDirector
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Sandra KorseProducer
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Esmeralda HeijKey Cast
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Project Type:Documentary
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Runtime:49 minutes 51 seconds
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Completion Date:September 27, 2020
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Production Budget:5,500 USD
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Country of Origin:Netherlands
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Country of Filming:Palestine, State of
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Language:Dutch, English
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Shooting Format:digital
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Film Color:Color
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First-time Filmmaker:Yes
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Student Project:No
Sandra Korse (1978) was born and raised in The Netherlands, lived in South Africa from 2016 till 2020 and is currently residing in The Netherlands. She is a passionate interviewer and a considerate documentary filmmaker who is driven by the phrase: ‘joy can change the world.’
It is this statement that made her change careers and go back to school in 2019 to study Cinematography at the Cape Town School of Photography. She’d never expected to become a filmmaking-student at the age of 40. But she did and absolutely loved it.
She has a deep love for interviewing and filming people about matters of the heart, and she doesn’t hesitate to dive a little deeper into the depths of one’s being and one's soul.
Her intuitive way of filmmaking and her desire to be fully emerged into the experiences at hand, bring a unique angle to both the filming and the editing process of her documentaries. These first-hand experiences add a level of depth to everything she does. Her first documentary A million steps for love is a testament to that.
Her camera and the experiences that she gets involved with is Sandra's greatest joy and the best way for herself to grow as a human being. The camera is her tool to be able to share stories with the world that contribute to the growing evolution of human consciousness on our planet in general.
When Esmeralda Heij (the main character in the documentary) shared her idea with me to invite women to join her on the last stretch of her 5.000 kilometers long pilgrimage, I knew I would be one of these women. Instantly I knew I was going to be the one filming these last 75 kilometers through the barren landscape of Palestine. Even before I had started my studies in Cinematography.
And so it happened. I graduated with distinction and two months later I flew to Jordan to start filming A million steps for love.
During the five-day hike I was part of the group ánd on an individual mission to film this journey. It taught me a great deal about my ability to intuitively know when to pick up the camera, whom to interview at what particular moment and how to make the women feel comfortable in front of my camera (after a rough day, with no makeup and with nowhere to hide).
Walking in silence through the mountainous landscape made me realise that I was doing exactly what I am meant to be doing. I felt truly guided to share stories with the world that contribute to the growing levels of awareness and consciousness and that share a profound message. Just like A million steps for love with its message on love, sisterhood and compassion.
In the editing process, Esmeralda shared Alexia Chellun's song 'The power of love is here now' with me. I immediately felt that this song was the perfect match for our story. It led to a beautiful cooperation and friendship with Alexia Chellun. The three songs of hers that we used truly add a touch of magic to the film.