Keep Off
Encyclopedia
Keep Off is a 2006 Dutch children's film
, based on the children's novel Afblijven by Carry Slee. The film, much like the book, explores drug abuse
by adolescents and the negative effects it has on their lifes.
The film received a Golden Film
(100,000 visitors).
lessons, to please her strict father, while she is in fact a hip hop
dancer. She is given the opportunity to audition for background dancer in a video clip, but grows uncertain of her abilities. A newly met friend, Jim, gives her XTC
, which enhances her performance. She is then selected to be in the music video.
Her close friends Jordi and Fleur watch as Melissa becomes dependent on both XTC and Jim, who is now her new boyfriend, but can't convince Melissa she is making a wrong turn.
At the music video shoot, Melissa fails to perform as well as she did before due to a lack of XTC and leaves the set. She has a fight with Jim and disappears soon after.
As Jordi tries to find Melissa, she calls him and states she will be fine and she'll be at her "house" tonight. As the call was cut off, Jordi grows even more concerned and figures out where Melissa will be as he finds a poster announcing a "house party
" the same night.
Hoping to find Melissa, Jordi attends the house party, only to see Melissa being treated by paramedics and taken to the hospital in critical state.
Melissa ends up in a coma while Jordi finds out poisonous drugs were what caused her to collapse at the house party. After Melissa wakes up from her coma, Jordi convinces himself something needs to be done and enlists the police in order to arrest Melissa's boyfriend Jim.
It is revealed Jim distributed the poisonous drugs. Jordi then finds it difficult to become romantically involved with Melissa, but ultimately gives in.
Children's film
A children's film is a film aimed for children as its audience. As opposed to a family film, no special effort is made to make the film attractive for other audiences. The film may or may not be about children. In Unshrinking the Kids: Children's Cinema and the Family Film which is a chapter in In...
, based on the children's novel Afblijven by Carry Slee. The film, much like the book, explores drug abuse
Drug abuse
Substance abuse, also known as drug abuse, refers to a maladaptive pattern of use of a substance that is not considered dependent. The term "drug abuse" does not exclude dependency, but is otherwise used in a similar manner in nonmedical contexts...
by adolescents and the negative effects it has on their lifes.
The film received a Golden Film
Golden Film
The Golden Film is a film award recognizing domestic box office achievements in the Netherlands. The Golden Film is awarded to films from the Netherlands once they have sold . The award is an initiative by the Netherlands Film Festival and the Netherlands Film Fund to increase media attention for...
(100,000 visitors).
Plot
14-year old Melissa (Sem Veeger) pretends she's taking balletBallet
Ballet is a type of performance dance, that originated in the Italian Renaissance courts of the 15th century, and which was further developed in France and Russia as a concert dance form. The early portions preceded the invention of the proscenium stage and were presented in large chambers with...
lessons, to please her strict father, while she is in fact a hip hop
Hip hop
Hip hop is a form of musical expression and artistic culture that originated in African-American and Latino communities during the 1970s in New York City, specifically the Bronx. DJ Afrika Bambaataa outlined the four pillars of hip hop culture: MCing, DJing, breaking and graffiti writing...
dancer. She is given the opportunity to audition for background dancer in a video clip, but grows uncertain of her abilities. A newly met friend, Jim, gives her XTC
XTC
XTC were a New Wave band from Swindon, England, active between 1976 and 2005. The band enjoyed some chart success, including the UK and Canadian hits "Making Plans for Nigel" and "Senses Working Overtime" , but are perhaps even better known for their long-standing critical success.- Early years:...
, which enhances her performance. She is then selected to be in the music video.
Her close friends Jordi and Fleur watch as Melissa becomes dependent on both XTC and Jim, who is now her new boyfriend, but can't convince Melissa she is making a wrong turn.
At the music video shoot, Melissa fails to perform as well as she did before due to a lack of XTC and leaves the set. She has a fight with Jim and disappears soon after.
As Jordi tries to find Melissa, she calls him and states she will be fine and she'll be at her "house" tonight. As the call was cut off, Jordi grows even more concerned and figures out where Melissa will be as he finds a poster announcing a "house party
House party
A house party in the English-speaking world is typically a type of party where medium to large groups of people gather at the residence of the party's host. In modern usage, a house party is typically associated with teenage or young adult crowds, loud music, dancing, and the consumption of alcohol...
" the same night.
Hoping to find Melissa, Jordi attends the house party, only to see Melissa being treated by paramedics and taken to the hospital in critical state.
Melissa ends up in a coma while Jordi finds out poisonous drugs were what caused her to collapse at the house party. After Melissa wakes up from her coma, Jordi convinces himself something needs to be done and enlists the police in order to arrest Melissa's boyfriend Jim.
It is revealed Jim distributed the poisonous drugs. Jordi then finds it difficult to become romantically involved with Melissa, but ultimately gives in.
Cast
- Sem Veeger - Melissa
- Matthijs van de Sande BakhuyzenMatthijs van de Sande BakhuyzenMatthijs Nicolaas van de Sande Bakhuyzen is a Dutch movie and television actor and former child actor.-Biography:Van de Sande Bakhuyzen was born on October 16, 1988 in Amsterdam as the son of movie director Willem van de Sande Bakhuyzen. In 1992 his little sister Roeltje van de Sande Bakhuyzen was...
- Jordi - Melody KlaverMelody KlaverMelody Zoë Klaver is a Dutch actress.Melody played the part of Heleen in Diep, a movie from Simone van Dusseldorp, for which she got a Golden Calf nomination, one of the most important film awards in the Netherlands...
- Debby - Jim BakkumJim BakkumJimmy "Jim" Johannes Bakkum is a Dutch singer, actor, stage actor and television personality. Rising to nationwide fame after becoming runner-up in the first season of Dutch singing competition series Idols, he has released five albums and made a career in musicals and film...
- Toine - Juliann Ubbergen - Kevin
- Tessa Schram - Fleur
- Tommie Venneker - Jim
- Gijs Scholten van Aschat - father of Melissa
- Loes Wouterson - mother of Melissa
- Thijs Römer - Guido (video clip director)
- BrainpowerBrainpowerGertjan Mulder, professionally known as Brainpower, is a bi-lingual rapper, who writes, records and performs in both the English as well as the Dutch language. The Dutch audience mainly knows him as a Dutch language rapper. He was born in Belgium and grew up in the Netherlands. He started making...
- himself - Anneke Blok - mother of Jordi
- Geert Lageveen - father of Jordi
- Plien van Bennekom - Miss Zuurbier (German teacher)
- Tjebbo Gerritsma - grandmother of Melissa
- Stefan de Walle - policeman
- Michiel Romeyn - boss of Jordi
- Carry Slee - bus passenger
- Giovanni Kemper - dancer of the danceschool of Melissa