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New Dutch Series 'The White Man' Sparks Debate on Identity and Power
🇳🇱 Netherlands /Culture & Society

New Dutch Series 'The White Man' Sparks Debate on Identity and Power

From NRC Handelsblad · () Dutch

Translated from Dutch and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

In-depth Named sources Context piece
  • A new Dutch documentary series titled 'The White Man' by award-winning filmmaker Qian van Binsbergen is generating discussion and controversy.
  • The series explores the concept of the 'white man' as a form of power and the societal norm, prompting reactions from media figures and academics.
  • Van Binsbergen aims to analyze this phenomenon from an outsider's perspective, comparing her approach to ethnographic studies.

A new Dutch documentary series, 'The White Man,' is igniting debate about identity, power, and societal norms. Filmmaker Qian van Binsbergen, known for her award-winning works like 'The Takeaway Chinese' and 'Sexotic,' tackles the complex subject of the 'white man' in her latest three-part series, premiering August 28th on omroep Zwart.

This is not about me.

— Jan SlagterJan Slagter, CEO of Max-Omroep, reacting to the trailer of 'The White Man'.

The series has already faced scrutiny following a preview. Media executive Jan Slagter, identifying as an "old white man," expressed skepticism, calling the trailer "a bit discriminatory" and stating, "This is not about me." Anthropologist Shashi Roopram questioned whether a similar documentary would be made about "the black man."

Van Binsbergen, who is of Asian descent and adopted from China, explained that she chose the 'white man' as a subject because it felt furthest from her own experience. "I thought: what is furthest from me? And that is the white man," she said. However, she acknowledged that the process of making the film led her back to her own perspective. "As I was filming, I realized it was still about me after all. I use my perspective to unravel the phenomenon of the 'white man' – it's not neutral."

A bit discriminatory.

— Jan SlagterJan Slagter's initial reaction to the trailer of 'The White Man'.

She emphasizes that the series is not about "the white man as a human being" but rather "the man as a form of power." Van Binsbergen argues that the norm – being male, white, and heterosexual – has been taken for granted for centuries. "It's very difficult to investigate what feels completely normal for everyone," she stated, comparing it to asking "why the sky is blue."

We would also make such a documentary about the black man?

— Shashi RoopramAnthropologist Shashi Roopram questioning the series' focus.

Van Binsbergen likens her approach to that of early naturalists or colonial explorers studying indigenous cultures. "The man is a creature of habit; he always categorized others. He is not used to being categorized himself. I copy that outsider's gaze," she explained. She draws a parallel to Ruben Terlou's documentaries about China, which are made for a Dutch audience. "The Chinese can watch, but it wasn't made for them. In the same way, I'm making a program for everyone who is not a man and not white," she concluded.

The white man is allowed to stay, you know.

— Qian van BinsbergenFilmmaker Qian van Binsbergen humorously addressing criticism of her series 'The White Man'.
About this summary

Originally published by NRC Handelsblad in Dutch. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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