Hold on Tight - De Dijk

The Dutch band De Dijk has been playing live almost continuously for 30 years. Their unique blend of blues and soul - sung in Dutch - has brought them popularity, success, recognition (including the Edison Award for their entire body of work in 2005), and a fixed spot at the top of Dutch pop music. Suzanne Raes (The Houses of Hristina and The Rainbow Warriors of Waiheke Island) followed the band during an eventful 2010, the year they took a new path and recorded their first international CD with Solomon Burke, the last living soul legend - and self-proclaimed De Dijk fan. But it was also a year of loss, with the dream of a joint American tour going up in smoke when their soul mate unexpectedly passed away. Burke had come to Amsterdam to play a concert with the band, and he had big plans for them: "America needs to see you!" As well as these highs and lows, the film reveals the day-to-day functioning of a group of musicians who are perfectly in sync with one another. We see them preparing for another gig, in the van or in the dressing room, and putting new songs together in a healthy spirit of collective competition. And despite their doubts about the future, we also see how the deep connection between the band members rises to the surface. (International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam)