About Mane Hòmbu: ‘My wish is not just applause, but a moment of reflection’

What inspired the story of Mane Hòmbu?

Angelo: ‘Mane Hòmbu means: what a man is supposed to be. As a young boy in Curaçao, you grow up in a culture where if you trip and fall, your parents will tell you to get up and stop crying. You’re a boy, a man, and men don’t cry. It creates a culture where it is difficult for men to talk about their emotions, or express themselves. If we do, you’re quickly labelled ‘soft’ or even ‘gay’. There isn’t much of a safe space to talk about what’s going on inside.

In the film, we follow the perspective of a man whose partner has a miscarriage and while he works through his grief, he is confronted with the consequences of this type of upbringing. Now I’m raising two young boys myself, I find it very important to be aware and give space to their emotions. So when they fall and cry, I always tell them to take their time, to cry and feel the pain, to get up only when they are ready.

My biggest reason for this film is trying to break a taboo, even for myself personally, and make a safe environment for these two kids to grow up in. When you allow to express yourself, you can be even more powerful as a man and a human being, more happy, more free.

The film is rooted in Curaçao, because it relates to the culture there right now. But ofcourse it relates not only to our island. I know for sure that it is a worldwide topic. And I hope this film raises awareness and encourages people to raise their children differently.

German: ‘I think this idea of holding a mirror in front of ourselves as a community and as men was one of the biggest motivators when we started talking about it. Unfortunately, it was something I experienced personally and I felt a lot of confusion in how to deal with all these emotions and having no idea how and when to express these, even during conversations with close friends.

That is why we chose to place the audience in the position of the male character, so they can feel what it’s like to carry all of that inside.

We had to think of ways to make this internal struggle visual. We came up with the role of his brother to represent the cultural pressure, the voice that tells him to be a man and suppress his emotions. And at first you will hate the brother, but then you will ask yourself: why are things like this? And that is exactly the point.’

What obstacles did you face while making the film on the island?

Sulin: ‘I mean, the island is an obstacle course itself! You have to have a certain tenacity to make films here. Of course, filmmaking can be challenging in other places, but on a small island you feel those limitations more strongly.

For example, when we were filming the scene with the makeshift rigging of the driving car and how that was filmed – I held my breath. More important is the fact that as a production company registrered in Curaçao, you can’t insure your productions. That is a big liability, especially if you’re planning to do bigger productions in the future.

Luckily, production for Mane Hòmbu went pretty smooth when it came to finding the right people. It’s the fifth short film we made in 2,5 years, which is kind of a record, and by now we have created a great amount of good people to work with.’

German: ‘At the same time, the island obstacles are also kind of a blessing. Because they shape the type of films that we make, the way we work and the stories we tell. You don’t always have access to large crews or budgets, so you must use your Caribbean creativity to make it shine for your movie, instead of it being an obstacle.

Still, our film ecosystem is a work in progress. We are definitely making steps, compared to when we started aroung 2010, the difference is huge. We have a lot of skilled DOP’s, editors and gaffers now. But the next step is developing or defining our voice: what we want to say and why we want to say it. And I feel that’s happening right now.’

Do see your work as part of a broader development of the Curaçao film industry?

Sulin: ‘Definitely! Four or five years ago, I wouldn't have dreamt that we were here at this point. And now we're still moving forward. It really feels like we are at the start of developing a great film industry on the island. And that's something that makes me very happy.’

German: ‘Programmes like Studio Caribe allow people to get to a position where they can tell a story without going through the whole process of competing with Dutch productions that have already done so many things. We used to feel so far from what was going on in the Netherlands. It was almost like a different world to us. And even though our round of Studio Caribe was still a pilot, we now feel far more included. It’s amazing to see so many people getting a chance to work professionally and tell meaningfull stories like Ango’s. That’s so valuable and important.’

What are your next steps?

Angelo: (laughs) ‘I have a lot of stories to tell! One thing I can say is that a lot of us on this island are selftaught. We didn’t go to film school. So when we start from zero, it means we really, really love doing this and the love will only grow bigger. So everytime we get a chance to be on set and tell a story, we will do it from the bottom of our hearts.’

Sulin: ‘Ango and I actually met when I called him to be a production assistent. I was so embarrassed because I knew there was so much more to him than being a production assistent. But we needed people and we were very happy he said yes.’

Angelo: 'It wasn’t a problem for me, at all. Even though I had already made films and written stories, I just wanted to be on set and experience it any chance I get. It’s a way for us to get more opportunity to share our message and to show what’s possible on the island.’

Sulin: ‘The next step for me is to focus on distribution. Starting with Mane Hòmbu, and also Perdi by Ryan Navarro, which we’ve just finished shooting and expect to complete in May.’

German: ‘At Provider Films (German’s production company with cinematographer Ewoud Bon) we’re currently developing a comedy project for the Film Fund’s Caleidoscope scheme. Bon Bida will be an artistic film that’s also accessible to a wider audience. That’s the kind of work I’m interested in, films with soul that can connect to audiences in a movie theater.

We are also talking to some of the young filmmakers to see if we can help or work together. People are looking forward to participating in the next round of Studio Caribe, so we also want to check if we can help, whether through writing, producing or mentoring. The programme is a great opportunity to make your second or third professional film, with a great budget to work with. You can really learn a lot.’

What are your wishes for the film?

Sulin: ‘Oh, I hope it does very well. I hope it gets accepted in a lot of film festivals and reaches as many people as possible. I think that would be the cherry on the cake for the film. The process of getting it done is a blessing in its own, but sharing it with large audiences would be the best reward.’

Angelo: ‘My wish is not just applause, but a moment of reflection. When the film ends and the credits start rolling, I don't want applause. I want the audience to really get a moment to reflect and actually get the message of the film. I want them to ask themselves how we didn't talk about this earlier. I want people to start a conversation and start thinking how they can break those chains that we have from our past.’

Studio Caribe

The second round of Studio Caribe is now open. Applicants from the ABCSSS islands as well as Suriname can submit their applications to the Film Fund until Tuesday, May 5, 2026.