Joris Verdonkschot is known for his bronze sculptures, in which human emotion plays a central role. Less widely known is that he began his career as a filmmaker and graduated from the Netherlands Film Academy. With the experimental short dance film Caught, he brings these two disciplines together.
Over the past year, the film has been shown at a range of international festivals. It was named a finalist in the Best Art / Experimental Dance Film category at the Inspired Dance Film Festival 2025 in Sydney. In addition, Verdonkschot was awarded the Kunstlijn Prize in November 2025 for his sculptural work, with the jury highlighting his craftsmanship.
The film is described as a surreal and psychological journey that explores the fine line between freedom and confinement. The narrative centres on the human need for connection and the desire for release. According to official descriptions, the film portrays a woman who suffocates her partner in an embrace that is both loving and constricting, after which she ultimately manages to break free following a harrowing encounter.
In Caught, themes such as connection, suffocation and release are explored. The film features choreography by Jort Faber and a performance by dancer Rebecca Lillich Krüger. These themes resonate with Verdonkschot’s sculptural work, where similar tensions are expressed through material and form rather than movement.
The film has been screened in locations including Zurich, various venues in Spain, and the Filmkoepel Haarlem.
