{"id":3376,"date":"2020-08-12T11:08:23","date_gmt":"2020-08-12T08:08:23","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/marthavanderbly.com\/?page_id=3376"},"modified":"2026-06-26T19:35:10","modified_gmt":"2026-06-26T16:35:10","slug":"filmmaker","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/marthavanderbly.com\/?page_id=3376","title":{"rendered":"FILMMAKER"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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we create sociological films<\/p>\n\n\n\n

that come from truth<\/p>\n\n\n\n

explore global challenges <\/p>\n\n\n\n

search for shared humanity<\/p>\n\n\n\n

in a divided world<\/p>\n\n\n\n

unity & peace <\/p>\n\n\n\n

stories that heal<\/p>\n\n\n\n

stories of courage, beauty & hope<\/p>\n\n\n\n

that change something<\/p>\n\n\n\n

in our world <\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Searching for Mama Salone’s Secret<\/em><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Searching for Mama Salone\u2019s Secret<\/em><\/strong>,a feature-length sociological film, explores a simple but urgent question: what can the world learn from its most religiously tolerant country? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Independently produced, the film uncovers the unlikely but true story of Sierra Leone\u2019s peaceful religious coexistence in a time of rising global polarisation. Combining a story of personal transformation and ethnographic research, the film investigates this reality through cinematic storytelling and sociological inquiry and imagines what it could mean for the future of our increasingly divided world.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Status<\/strong> – Halfway through production. Research & Collaborations<\/strong> – Developed in close collaboration with the Sierra Leonean community. Outreach Partner<\/strong>: Religions for Peace (RvP) Suppor<\/strong>t: UN Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Religion and Belief. Recognition<\/strong> – The sociological research underpinning the film was selected for presentation at the International Sociological Association (ISA) 2025. The film was developed at Sundance Collab. <\/p>\n\n\n

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Searching for Mama Salone’s Secret – IMDb<\/a> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Eva’s Mission<\/em><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Eva’s Mission<\/em><\/strong> is a feature-length sociological documentary exploring the Holocaust through the relationship between an actress and Holocaust survivor Eva Schloss, Anne Frank’s posthumous stepsister. When I was cast in the play And Then They Came for Me,<\/em> first in the part of Hitler Youth, then as the lead of Eva Schloss-Geiringer (Vienna 1929 – London 2026), it was the beginning of following Eva for a decade, documenting her educational work and the horrors of the Holocaust against the backdrop of the erosion of the postwar world order – becoming a ‘witness of the witness<\/em>‘. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Film locations<\/strong>, with Eva<\/em>: London (UK), Berlin & Erfurt (Germany), Antwerpen (Belgium), Amsterdam, Soest, and Westerbork (The Netherlands), Cape Town (South Africa) – Exploring the Holocaust: <\/em> Thessaloniki (Greece), Sofia (Bulgary), Tirana (Albania), Busto Arsizio (Italy), Belmonte (Portugal), Madrid (Spain), Nice & Marseille (France), Brussels (Belgium). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Production <\/strong>took place between 2011 – 2020, with Principal Photography between 2016 -2019. Funding & Recognition<\/strong>: Supported by a crowdfunding campaign through Cinecrowd, by the Amsterdam Art Council (AFK), the Gravin van Byland Foundation, the Foundation Democracy & Media, a Summer Filmmakers Residency at the University of South Carolina (USA), an award by the Cultuur Fonds Amsterdam, amongst others. Selected for the Pitching Sessions of the European Documentary Network (EDN) at Lisbon Docs. Status<\/strong>: In Post Production. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

IMPACT<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

My journey with Eva began when I performed a year in schools in and around London with the play And Then They Came for Me<\/em>, followed by a Q&A sessions with Eva herself. We also performed at the Russian and the Chinese Embassy. Later, I was offered the lead role of Eva. In 2012 Eva invited me to go with her on tour to South Africa and we toured the play in Cape Town, Port Elizabeth and Johannesburg. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

After moving back to Holland and as part of my journey with Eva, I organized Eva’s visit to the National World War II Remembrance Ceremony on Dam Square and Nieuwe Kerk (Dodenherdenking<\/strong>)<\/strong> <\/em>in Amsterdam as special guest (2016). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I initiated and co-produced the Freedom Lecture<\/strong> with Eva Schloss<\/strong> (2017), which included lectures by Eva at De Balie, the Amsterdams Lyceum and former Transit Camp Westerbork. This led to an interview with Eva on national talkshow Jinek and coverage in numerous national newpapers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Together with Eva’s family and with the support of the Anne Frank Foundations in Basel, London, Amsterdam, South Carolina and New York), I published Pondering in the Da<\/strong>rk<\/em> (Amsterdam, 2019), bringing together for the first time the poetry and artwork of Eva’s brother Heinz Geiringer<\/strong> (Vienna 1926 – Mauthausen 1945). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Website: www.evasmission.com<\/a> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Find more about our journey with Eva: Facebook Page Eva’s Mission<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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I KISS THE WORLD<\/em><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

\u2018<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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I Kiss The World\u2019\u00a0<\/em>is a visual arts multi-media project that visually explores my concept of the \u2018fluidities of identity\u2019 in the global city <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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and is a collaboration with West-End photographer Simon Annand ). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The photo exhibition premiered in Amsterdam in and ran for four month in the Photogallery in the Central Hall of the OBA (Amsterdam Library).iKISS THE WORLD<\/em> is a sociological visual exploration of national identity in the global city. An on-going collaboration between actress \/ sociologist Martha Van Der Bly and photographer Simon Annand, the first iKISS THE WORLD exhibition took place in the Photogallery of the Centraly Library Amsterdam (OBA). www.amsterdam.info\/events\/ikiss\/<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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we create sociological films that come from truth explore global challenges search for shared humanity in a divided world unity & peace stories that heal stories of courage, beauty & hope that change something in our world Searching for Mama Salone’s Secret Searching for Mama Salone\u2019s Secret,a feature-length sociological film, explores a simple but urgent… <\/p>\n

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