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Iris van Dongen is a Dutch filmmaker whose directorial debut, The Bridges We Cross, gained international recognition, going on to be recognized by Academy Award, BAFTA and Canadian Screen Award qualifying festivals. Her work is characterised by visually compelling, emotionally driven storytelling that explores contemporary human experiences. Alongside her filmmaking career, Iris is currently pursuing an MBA, where she is researching the impact of artificial intelligence on the future of jobs within the film industry.
Synopsis: The Bridges We Cross (2025) is an Oscar® , BAFTA, and Canadian Screen Guild qualifying short film that tenderly explores love, memory, and identity through the story of Henry and Bertie. Two elderly gentlemen who are going into town to go to a concert. Bertie has middle to late Alzheimer’s disease with Henry serving as his caretaker. As the couple walk through the town, they suddenly come across a bridge that evokes some unexpected memories.
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In order to undertand the value of your piece, we would like to know more about the mind behind the process. How would you define this experience with cinema as a director? Could you tell us a moment that change or challenge you?
This film was my directorial debut so I can definitely say that the entire production defined my experience with cinema. It challenged me to think outside of the box but also that film processes and ideas change constantly during production. For example, at the end of the film there is one of my favourite shots when Henry and Bertie kiss. It was our last shot of the film and there was a certain magic in how all the cast, crew and onlookers were all present with the characters as they went through this final stage. The light hit the camera at the perfect angle and everything about how we wanted to tell the ending of our story just came together in the best way possible.
Your film has a solid and ingenious story, combining nostalgia, love, and very distinct characters. How did the idea come about?
The idea came from many sources! The original idea came from an elderly couple I saw on the train one day - something about the interaction between them was so pure and moving that it greatly summoned a desire for me to tell a story about love in the final years of one’s life, the changes that come with that but also I feel the appreciation and acceptance that happens as you get older.
Could you tell us about any difficulties you encountered during filming? And what was the editing process like? Because it's clear that it was crafted with great care.
I would say one of the main difficulties we encountered during filming was the weather. We filmed in a small town in England called Shere at the end of November, so the English weather certainly challenged us there. The editing process was definitely one of the most inspiring processes of the project. We worked with an amazing post-production team at Nordisk Film who were just as passionate about the project. For example, we really worked with sound design as a way for us to enter into Bertie’s reality and how sound plays a big part in memory when it comes to Alzheimer's and Dementia, so all of the sounds in the film are amplified and articulated. For the music, I was also really adamant that we had a cohesive theme throughout to signify Bertie’s memory which our composer, Floris van Dongen, really achieved.
We believe that the story, beyond the entertainment, contains a profound message. We could say that its structure resonates with the conflicts many people may face today. What can you tell us about it, the characters and how has your team's synergy influenced the project's outcome?
For me, the process was always to tell the story authentically. My experience with this piece was that I was very passionate to do a lot of research and to work with charities to understand the devastating experience that families go through when it comes to Alzheimer’s and Dementia. We worked closely with the Alzheimer’s society of Sweden as well as the LGBTQ and Dementia advisory group - both amazing charities who do a lot of work for raising awareness for this disease and who provide a lot of support for families. We held workshops with the cast which helped both myself and the team to accurately depict our story as it was coming from real experiences. I feel because we all felt we were holding so many personal stories delicately within the film, this made us as a team extremely passionate and motivated to create a story that will move others in the same way.
If you had to name three key concepts to help everyone understand and enjoy more this film, what would they be? And what was the most valuable thing you learned making this movie?
If I could name 3 key concepts, they would be that based on our research with the charities, though your loved ones may not remember you or you feel like they are slipping away from the person you have always known, deep inside of them, remember that they love you and that they remember you and that they miss you too. This was one of the most profound realisations of our film and something I would wish everyone to take away from it. This is also one of the most valuable things I felt as a filmmaker, on how cinema has the power to inspire and remind us of the most delicate parts of life, such as love, and how they can motivate and inspire us during challenging times.
Fellini once said that "all art is autobiographical." Given that it's your first film, and considering the success you're having, do you feel you might have already found your personal "signature" as a filmmaker?
I can say that I have not yet found a distinctive style but I definitely feel a pull to make films that bring a lot of support for communities. I also am glad that I have realised during the process of my first film, that with films and any storytelling in general, the aim should always be to move people. If I have moved one person with the story or in the case of this film, if it has helped a family to feel seen while they are going through what Henry and Bertie are going through, then I feel the film has fulfilled its mission.
Did the film meet your expectations? Share your thoughts on the production, the competition area, their reach, and how you achieved them!
Absolutely it met my expectations! I was really happy, and I feel I can speak for the rest of our team too, that not only did we get to take part in so many amazing festivals and to be recognised at Oscar, Bafta and Canadian screen guild qualifying festivals, but also the audiences we reached around the globe and how many people had such a positive reaction to the film. We became an award winning film at Cannes within the first month of our festival run and shortly afterwards, we made our North American debut. It was incredibly fun to be able to travel around the world and to speak about our film.
Can you tell us something about your next job?
I am currently in the process of writing and developing a series as well as a feature film. Both are about topics I am passionate about, so I am excited to see if in the future they will get to be on everyone's screen. I am also finishing a scientific thesis about AI in the film industry and how this will affect our industry and our jobs. This is something I am very passionate about as on the one hand, I believe AI can be a useful tool, but we have to be careful that people's creativity, our natural form of expressing emotions and the natural rhythm of storytelling as told by people, also gets protected by the government and within the job market. I am excited and hopeful though by companies like RSL Media (Co-founded by Cate Blanchette) who are helping to protect human identity from artificial intelligence. I feel that as long as we are all taking the necessary precautions to protect creative identity, I feel we can move forward with newer technology in the right way. I feel excited and motivated to be able to contribute my research to our sector.
Know more about his amazing works!
IMVD Productions: https://www.imvdproductions.com/
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MADFA® I Press Team
Madrid Film Awards®
