The Forgotten Battle: One of the most expensive Dutch films ever made

A Dutch war film, De Slag om de Schelde (AKA The Forgotten Battle) is one of the most expensive Dutch films to ever be produced. Watch the breathtaking trailer below!

A big budget, and a big story

With a budget of a whopping 14 million euros, De Slag om de Schelde is the biggest Dutch film of the last 10 years, and the second most expensive Dutch movie ever made, after the 2006 war film Zwartboek. 

Notably, in spite of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and government measures that are in place, the film will be shown in Dutch cinemas this month, premiering on December 17. Producers noted how many big-budget films had postponed their release dates until 2021, and so De Slag om de Schelde - which was supposed to premiere in November - moved the release date to December: “Now that there were no more major films planned for the Christmas holidays, we saw an opportunity,” producer Alain de Levita said.

With such a big budget, the 2020 release date is a risky move, as the film will have to pull in at least half a million just to break even. But the brains - and wallets - behind the film think it is worth the risk: “Seeing an epic film like this on a big screen makes people maintain their bond with the cinema. That they feel what makes cinema so special,” Bero Beyer, director of the Film Fund, told RTLnieuws.

Watch the trailer for De Slag om de Schelde

The film revolves around the Second World War battle known as the forgotten battle of the Scheldt, which took place in northern Belgium and south-western Netherlands from October 2 to November 8, 1944. The battle was one of the most important and fierce battles fought in Western Europe during the Second World War, and was instrumental in securing the Belgium city of Antwerp as a port for the Allies. Over 10.000 people lost their lives. 

In Christopher Nolan’s Dunkirk-esque fashion, De Slag om de Schelde follows three young people: a British pilot, a young Dutch boy who fights for the Germans, and a Zeeland resistance fighter. During the deadly battle, the paths of these three youngsters collide, and they are forced to consider their motives as they all fight towards the same goal: freedom.

The film features a number of Dutch and international stars, with Gijs Blom, Jamie Flatters, and Susan Radder in the lead roles. Harry Potter star Tom Felton and Theo Barklem-Biggs (Kingsman: The Secret Service) also feature in this international cast.

Thumb: Donald I. Grant (Dept. of National Defence) via Wikimedia.