In Janne Schmidt’s King of the Wanderers**, world-premiering at Cinekid 2025, Tom is a lovely guy who roams the streets, living rough and happy in his belief that he is King of Moldova. But he also hears critical voices in his head, and thinks he is being surveilled by a secret service operative. But he also dearly loves his daughter Meissy (11) and her mum Lucy, from whom he has been separated for years. She would like a divorce but he doesn't want to sign the papers.

One day, to Meissy’s delight but to Lucy’s consternation, Tom returns into their lives. For Meissy, life becomes a big adventure, but Lucy needs to get on with her own life, especially as she has met a new guy. Tom, meanwhile, must reconcile with the reality of his situation. He is a happy itinerant, but he has serious mental issues, and must resolve to take his medication to keep his demons at bay in the future…

“I’ve always had a deep fascination with these kinds of themes,” director Schmidt explains the essence of her film.

“I think it’s important to make people think and to address topics that might be uncomfortable or thought-provoking. With this film, I hope to spark conversations — about mental health, about the absence of a parent, and especially about psychosis and how we deal with it as a society.”

“What draws me to these subjects is the opportunity to dive in, do thorough research, and then translate that into something as believable and authentic as possible on screen,” she adds. “That process is essential to me, and I invest a lot of time and energy into it. With this new film, I hope we can help start a conversation, and encourage people to look at those experiencing psychosis — or those who are homeless — with more openness and empathy. Behind every situation, there’s a person, a story. We don’t have to walk past them without a second thought.”

King of the Wanderers, which screens across Dutch cinemas from October 15, may have a rich seam of fantasy, as we see when we enter Tom’s world, but it is nevertheless grounded very much in real life. What’s more, the cast deliver spot-on, flawless performances, with the part of Meissy played by newcomer Niyara da Rocha Pereira.

“It’s her first acting role, and we invested a lot of time in building trust. We did many rehearsals, including fun activities like an escape room, to create a safe environment where Niyara felt completely free in her performance — something that really comes across on screen,” says Schmidt. “At the same time, we spent a lot of time rehearsing with Yootha Wong-Loi-Sing (mother Lucy) and Matthijs van de Sande Bakhuyzen (father Tom) to build a strong connection between them as a family. Although the story portrays them as no longer a traditional family, it was important that the audience could feel the deep history behind these characters. Creating that authentic family dynamic was key to making their relationships believable and emotionally resonant.”

The brilliant Dutch actress Frieda Barnhard (Kiddo) also stars, as Tom’s homeless buddy Nora.

As has been demonstrated time and again, the Dutch have a fantastic tradition in making smart, nuanced and highly entertaining films for younger audiences - movies that tackle real life head-on. This is evidenced by the number of Dutch selections over the years in programmes such as Berlinale Generation.

“For me as a filmmaker, it is really important to take children seriously and never talk down to them,” Schmidt underlines.

“We notice that young viewers often understand much more than people think, and they actually appreciate being exposed to more mature themes. When dealing with a topic like schizophrenia, it was not our intention to simplify or sugar-coat it, but to present it in an honest and accessible way, using childlike imagination."

"That’s exactly why I think it’s valuable to include these kinds of themes in a children’s film. Life isn’t always easy, and difficult issues like this are part of it. By addressing them in a film, children can not only be moved but also learn something from it.”

The film will take its bow at Cinekid, arguably the world’s most important audiovisual event for kids. “It’s an international festival, which gives us a chance to reach not just a Dutch audience but hopefully an international one too,” Schmidt enthuses. “And since it’s a festival for children, that’s exactly our target audience. So it’s really wonderful that King of the Wanderers can premiere there as the opening film. I hope the young viewers will be moved greatly by the experience.”

Find out more about Cinekid here.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

*film supported by the Netherlands Film Fund
**supported by the Netherlands Film Fund and Netherlands Production Incentive