Being able to grab a quick bite to eat from an apparent wall of snacks is a fairly common experience in the Netherlands. Now, the so-called snack walls found at various Dutch fast-food restaurants feature in a brand new short film, which will premiere at Tribeca Film Festival in New York next month.
While it’s certainly an experience when you first arrive in the Netherlands, the novelty of being able to grab food out of the wall at a FEBO does wear off eventually. For one director, however, the automat provided the perfect inspiration for his next project.
Writer-director Leonardo Cariglino's latest short film, Il Fait Beau - say it out loud, does it sound familiar? - perhaps surprisingly centres around a love story. The short film follows Jean, a new arrival to the Netherlands who feels lonely. When out roaming the streets of Amsterdam, he stumbles upon a FEBO where he spies Sara, the young woman working to refill the automat.
"It's a real love story, with the snack wall at the centre. That's where it happens,” Cariglino told Editie NL. Check out the trailer for his film below:
Originally of mixed Italian and Greek origin, Cariglino has lived in Amsterdam for over 10 years now. In fact, his film is inspired by his own first experience at a FEBO after a night out. “After a visit to the Melkweg, I was among the hungry zombies at 4am and pulled my first burger out of the wall. Through the window, I saw a girl filling the slots of the machine. She didn't look very happy. That image stayed with me,” he recalled during an interview with De Filmkrant.
Amazingly, Cariglino’s film about the humble FEBO is soon going to be enjoyed by an international audience, as Il Fait Beau will be premiering at the renowned Tribeca Film Festival in New York in June. Alongside Silver Haze, it is one of just two Dutch films to feature at the festival.
As for what the future holds, Cariglino is hopeful that the film will be selected for the Netherlands Film Festival, which takes place in Utrecht in September, and notes that FEBO is organising a few special screenings in honour of Valentine’s Day in 2024.
Thumb: poludziber via Shutterstock.com.