Finding Tom Bombadil

Finding Tom Bombadil is a detective documentary about a man on a quest to find his favourite fiction character in the real world. The film tracks the early stages of this worldwide search for Tolkien’s most mysterious fantasy figure. Coincidences and chance encounters lead Joost van de Loo – a holistic detective helped by a host of volunteers, field researchers and advisers - to investigate candidates in Shetland, Germany, England, New Zealand, South Korea, Tanzania, Finland and the United States. After years of searching he realises that the search is only just beginning.

  • Joost van de Loo
    Director
  • Joost van de Loo
    Writer
  • Joost van de Loo
    Producer
  • Professor David Hand
    Key Cast
  • Dr. Mark Benecke
    Key Cast
  • Liz Mullane
    Key Cast
  • Mark Lee Hunter
    Key Cast
  • Bernward Koch
    Key Cast
  • Maarten Westerveen
    Key Cast
  • Aidan 'King Rah' Collins
    Key Cast
  • Ryan Shelford Hendriks
    Key Cast
  • Thomas Bear Bombadil
    Key Cast
  • Joost van de Loo
    Key Cast
  • Auke Hulst
    Key Cast
  • Christopher Nohr
    Key Cast
  • Ines Fischer
    Key Cast
  • Stephanie Benecke
    Key Cast
  • Florian Hebestreit
    Key Cast
  • Corbinian Beitelstein
    Key Cast
  • Robert Beets
    Key Cast
  • Corey Olsen
    Key Cast
  • Penelope Wolff
    Key Cast
  • Stan van de Wetering
    Key Cast
  • Charlotte Headrick
    Key Cast
  • James 'Jimmy' Smith
    Key Cast
  • Michiel Hoogstede
    Key Cast
  • Meegan Bombadil
    Key Cast
  • Cooper Bombadil
    Key Cast
  • Jerry Paul
    Key Cast
  • Sally Haerer
    Key Cast
  • Doug Barofsky
    Key Cast
  • Andy Stephen
    Key Cast
  • Dave Kok
    Key Cast
  • Wilma IJzerman
    Key Cast
  • Tommy Shin
    Key Cast
  • James Yoo
    Key Cast
  • Norbert Linto
    Key Cast
  • Maurice Williamson
    Key Cast
  • EspEspen 'Mzungu Kichaa' Sørensen
    Key Cast
  • Barry Nisbet
    Key Cast
  • David Vanderwege
    Key Cast
  • Akim Reinhardt
    Key Cast
  • Herman Heyn
    Key Cast
  • Jizelle St. Fleur
    Key Cast
  • Nick Rozenberg
    Editor
  • Renger Koning
    Music Composer and Sound Designer
  • Bobby Wessels
    Animation
  • Daniel Lawson
    Narrators
  • Wendy Ishii
    Narrators
  • Lynette Darleen
    Colour Grading
  • Joost van de Loo
    Camera
  • Maarten Westerveen
    Research and Second Camera
  • Gillian Murdoch
    Research and Second Camera
  • Henriëtte Poelman
    Research and Second Camera
  • Kai Dieho
    Additional Camera
  • Stephanie Benecke
    Field Detectives
  • Bernward Koch
    Field Detectives
  • Leon Linto
    Field Detectives
  • Norbert Linto
    Field Detectives
  • Tommy Shin
    Field Detectives
  • Jizelle St. Fleur
    Field Detectives
  • Maurice Williamson
    Field Detectives
  • Herman Heyn
    Field Detectives
  • Akim Reinhardt
    Field Detectives
  • Marc Veerkamp
    Tom Bombadil Profilers
  • Rik Peels
    Tom Bombadil Profilers
  • Auke Hulst
    Tom Bombadil Profilers
  • Koen Hogewoning
    Communication and Title Design
  • Ilona van de Laarschot
    Communication and Title Design
  • Martijn Nieuwenhuis
    Billboard Design
  • Bruno Sellés
    Investigation Room Concept
  • Professor David Hand
    Investigation Advisers
  • Dr. Mark Benecke
    Investigation Advisers
  • Mark Lee Hunter
    Investigation Advisers
  • Barbara Makkinga
    Documentary Advisers
  • Ben van Houter
    Documentary Advisers
  • Maarten van Rossem
    Documentary Advisers
  • Marc Schmidt
    Documentary Advisers
  • Thomas Spijkerman
    Dramaturgy Advisers
  • Caszimir Cleutjens
    Dramaturgy Advisers
  • Mary Crow
    Poetry Translation
  • Project Type:
    Documentary, Experimental, Feature
  • Runtime:
    45 minutes 52 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    April 11, 2019
  • Production Budget:
    60,000 EUR
  • Country of Origin:
    Netherlands
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Imagine Film Festival
    Amsterdam
    Netherlands
    April 19, 2019
    World Premiere
    Special Official Selection
Director Biography - Joost van de Loo

Joost van de Loo is a holistic detective and film director who specialises in detective documentary; a cocktail of humour and serious investigation. He combines film with design, journalism and improbable research to create things that first make people laugh, and then think.

Currently, Joost is conducting a coincidence-powered quest to find Tom Bombadil, Tolkien's most mysterious fantasy figure, in the real world. Joost has also helped to launch a new programme for BBC Four television, created 'Castrato Superstar' (an Augmented Reality sculpture based on the true story of Paul Texel, a natural castrate opera singer with a soprano voice, who was discovered by Andy Warhol and then lost his voice) and interviewed contemporary hermits in the UK, India and The Netherlands.

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Director Statement

Somehow Tom Bombadil always stood out for me. He’s so positive and unique; the oldest and maybe most powerful person in the universe, but power leaves him cold. My project assumes that he actually exists. We’re assuming that somewhere, Tom Bombadil is living and walking amongst us.